Yoga 'can reduce menopause symptoms'

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Tuesday, 21st April 2009
Women going through menopause can reduce hot flushes and night sweats by participating in yoga exercises, it has been reported.

According to Reuters Health, researchers in India claim the postures, breathing and meditation included in yoga can also help to improve their mental agility.

Some 120 menopausal women in the country aged between 40 and 55 were assigned to one of two groups, the first whose members took part in yoga and listened to lectures about the activity and the second where discussions on diet, exercise, the physiology of menopause and stress took place.

Members of the yoga groups saw an easing of symptoms over an eight-week test period, while those in the control group did not.

According to the researchers, the study showed "the superiority of yoga" over physical activity in improving the cognitive functions that could be attributed to "an emphasis on correctness in breathing, synchronising breathing with body movements, relaxation and mindful rest".

Last week, researchers at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, South Korea, claimed that acupuncture does not have any positive effect on hot flushes during the menopause, as reported in the journal Climacteric.