A study found that yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises helped perimenopausal women overcome hot flashes and night sweats.
A potentially unpleasant but natural part of a woman's life is the transition into menopause, during which her hormones fluctuate and leave her with feelings of discomfort and even depression. However, research conducted in Bangalore, India, indicates that yoga-based stretching exercises for seniors may relieve some of the symptoms of this condition.
The study, which appeared in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises helped perimenopausal women overcome hot flashes and night sweats.
Menopause occurs when a woman's body ceases menstruating. It occurs naturally around the age of 50 or so, but can be induced by any process that interferes with ovulation. Women who have had a hysterectomy, pelvic radiation or chemotherapy may experience their climacteric transition relatively early, according to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
What can be done about the hot flashes, night sweats, irritability and even depression that may ensue? In the new study, researchers tried using yoga for health problems associated with menopause, easing 60 perimenopausal women through this difficult time.
The results were encouraging. The team, which was associated with Bangalore's Maiya Multispeciality Hospital, found that women who practiced yoga for five hours per week experienced greater gains in relaxation and bigger reductions in climacteric-related discomfort.
Likewise, the regimen led to a plethora of mental gains. Yoga "improve[d] cognitive functions such as remote memory, mental balance, attention and concentration, delayed and immediate recall, verbal retention and recognition tests," researchers concluded.
The results may even be transferable to men. According to the Cleveland Clinic, men go through a similar though less drastic life change informally called "andropause."
However, menopause is generally thought of as the more severe problem. NAMS estimates that more than 5,600 American women go through menopause every day.
Related items
Tags: menopause, stretching exercises for seniors, yoga for health problems
