Benefits of Walking on Menopausal Symptoms and Mental Health Outcomes among Chinese Postmenopausal Women

SummaryBackgroundMenopausal transition is often associated with impaired satisfaction with life (SL). Exercise is promising in both managing menopausal symptoms and improving subjective well-being of women after menopause.PurposeThis study examined the effects of a 4-month randomized controlled walking trial on menopausal symptoms and SL in 80 community-dwelling postmenopausal Chinese women (M age = 53.38, SD = 3.41), and identified predictors of changes in SL across the intervention.MethodsParticipants completed assessment of physical activity, body composition, menopausal symptoms, and a battery of psychological measures before and after the intervention.ResultsWalking was effective in reducing menopausal symptoms and depression as well as enhancing physical self-esteem and SL. In addition, changes in physical activity, menopausal symptoms, BMI, physical self-esteem, and depression were predictors of change in SL across the intervention.ConclusionWalking could be recommended for post-menopausal women to manage menopausal symptoms and promote psychological well-being. Life satisfaction may be enhanced through the improvement of mental and physical parameters (e.g., menopausal symptoms, BMI and depression).