A study authored by researchers at Penn State, Texas Tech, and Stanford and funded by the National Institutes of Health, found that exercise can help reduce the incidence of hot flashes among menopausal women.
The women in the study were asked to record hot flashes on a personal digital assistant. In addition, participants wore monitors that measured the moisture level of their skin. Hot flashes were counted as “true positives,” only when the women and the monitors indicated hot flashes within five minutes of each other.
Researchers found that women who exercised had fewer hot flashes in the next 24 hours than women who were inactive.
Steriani Elavsky, assistant professor of kinesiology at Penn State and the lead author of the study stated, “For women with mild to moderate hot flashes, there is no reason to avoid physical activity for the fear of making symptoms worse. In fact, physical activity may be helpful, and is certainly the best way to maximize health as women age. Becoming and staying active on a regular basis as part of your lifestyle is the best way to ensure healthy aging and well being, regardless of whether you experience hot flashes or not.”
Dr. Elavsky holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. She earned a second master’s degree and a Ph.D. in kinesiology from the University of Illinois.
The article has been published on the website of the journal Menopause and can be accessed here.