Effect of aerobic exercise on menopause symptoms in perimenopausal homemakers

OBJECTIVE: Women during perimenopause suffer from hot flashes, fatigue, and mood swings due to hormonal changes. These symptoms can disrupt daily life, work, and well-being. Aerobic exercise, like walking, has been shown to reduce these symptoms and improve overall well-being in perimenopausal women. The aim of the study was to find the effect of 4 weeks of aerobic exercise on menopausal symptoms using the Menopausal Rating Scale (MRS) in perimenopausal homemakers. METHODS: An experimental study was conducted in the community of Ahmedabad. Thirty-six homemakers aged between 40 and 55 years with perimenopausal symptoms were randomized into an intervention Group A or a control Group B. Women with known conditions which affected walking, taking drugs to relieve perimenopausal symptoms, women with surgical menopause, and receiving any hormone therapy were excluded. Women in the intervention group were asked to perform home-based walking at an 11–13 rate of perceived exertion for 150 min/week with warm-up and cool-down, five times a week for 4 weeks. Those in the control group continued their usual routine. The outcome used was the Menopausal Rating Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. Wilcoxon signed test for within-group analyses and Mann–Whitney U -test for between-group analyses were done. The level of significance was 5%. RESULTS: Differences in menopausal symptoms showed a significant difference between the groups ( U = 18, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Aerobic exercise like walking reduces menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal homemakers.