A Woman’s Health – Effects of Exercise Postpartum and Menopause

Positive Effects of Exercise Postpartum and Before and After Menopause

During different stages of a woman’s life, weight loss takes on varying levels of significance. For some women, postpartum weight loss is a key concern. Others look to lose weight during perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. Regular exercise helps women achieve weight-loss goals and also has beneficial impact on higher stress levels associated with these stages of a woman’s life.

Benefits of Postpartum Exercise

Postpartum exercise may both help women achieve their desired weight-loss goals and provide numerous additional health benefits. Previous studies suggest that postpartum exercise improves aerobic fitness, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity.1 An American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Roundtable on postpartum exercise noted that weight loss can occur through moderate exercise and calorie restriction without negatively affecting breast milk production and infant growth.2

In addition, ACSM notes that most women experience negative mood symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period; and exercise has been shown to improve mood; increase vigor; reduce fatigue, stress and anxiety; decrease symptoms of negative mood and depression; and improve self-concept.

Benefits of Exercise for Perimenopausal, Menopausal and Postmenopausal Women

During perimenopause, a woman’s metabolism begins to slow down and can lead to weight gain. Above-normal weight is associated with worsened symptoms of menopause. Results from a large study at the University of Maryland have shown that thin women have fewer hot flashes and night sweats (symptoms of perimenopause) than heavy women.3 Exercise in combination with a balanced, calorie-controlled diet can help women maintain a healthy weight and potentially reduce the symptoms of menopause.

Another condition associated with menopause is the loss of bone mass. Resistance exercises that target the hips, the spine, and the lower arms can help prevent the bone loss that women are prone to in these high-risk areas after menopause, said Richard Lampman, PhD, associate professor at the University of Michigan Medical School
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Recent research from the Iowa Women’s Health Study adds to that evidence: the researchers looked at 18 years of follow up data and found that women with high physical activity levels had lower body mass indexes and a 14 percent lower risk of breast cancer after menopause.3

Exercise also improves mental well-being among postmenopausal women.

Levels of anxiety, stress and depression are significantly lower among physically active, postmenopausal women compared to postmenopausal women in the lowest level of physical activity, according to research reported in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.4

1 Larson-Meyer, Dawnine. “Effect of postpartum exercise on mothers and their offspring: A review of the literature.” Obesity Research, Vol.10, No. 8, 2002.
2 American College of Sports Medicine Offers Guidance on Physical Activity During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period, June 1, 2006.

http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5334

3 Batcha, Becky. “Hot Spots.” Diane Magazine, Fall 2007.
4 Nelson, Deborah B. et al. “Effect of Physical Activity on Menopausal Symptoms among Urban Women.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, January 2008.

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