Psychological effects of exercise among adult women: The impact of menopausal status.

The psychological and physical benefits of regular physical activity are well established. but the majority of research to date has focussed on younger male samples. Two studies examined the impact of menopausal status on the ability of women to derive psychological benefits from exercise. Regular exercisers, assessed immediately following an exercise class. scored significantly lower on negative mood dimensions and higher on positive mood than did non-exercisers, regardless of menopausal status. Regular exercisers also showed significant improvements in mood state when assessed before and after a single exercise session; again this effect was independent of menopausal status. The results suggest that the acute mood-enhancing effects of exercise are maintained despite the endocrine changes associated with menopause. It is argued that encouraging menopausal women to adopt appropriate exercise patterns may assist in the alleviation of psychological distress as well as providing physical benefits.