As deeply devoted as I am to diet for supporting health, I also am a huge fan of exercise. Recent research suggests exercise may be the single most important thing you can do to reduce hot flashes and improve mood (1).

Of the 151 women in the trial, those exercising as little as three times a week had significantly fewer hot flashes.

The more they exercised (including both aerobic and non-aerobic exercise), the better their overall menopausal health score was.

Remember, symptoms are optional! No one is required to have any symptoms going through menopause. If you do have symptoms, though, exercise is one of your greatest allies.

In addition to reducing hot flashes and improving moods, exercise offers a host of other benefits for perimenopausal and menopausal women including maintaining a healthy weight, lowering blood pressure, stabilizing blood sugar, improving fat levels in the blood, increasing bone density, and benefitting heart health. (2)

Click here for more inspiration on your menopausal journey, the Menopause with Science and Soul Program with Dr. Judith Boice. 

1. Haimov-Kochman R1, Constantini N, Brzezinski A, Hochner-Celnikier D. Regular exercise is the most significant lifestyle parameter associated with the severity of climacteric symptoms: a cross sectional study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2013 Sep;170(1):229-34. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2013.06.018. Epub 2013 Jul 15.

2, Grindler NM1, Santoro NF.Menopause and exercise. Menopause. 2015 Dec;22(12):1351-8.