Exercise review finds potential mood benefits during menopause, with evidence limitations

Physical activity may improve depressive symptoms, mood and quality of life during the menopause transition, according to a systematic review highlighted by University College London on October 13. The findings support further investigation of exercise as part of midlife care, while leaving important questions about which activities help most and how reliably the benefits can be reproduced.

The review, published in Menopause, brings together randomized trials rather than relying solely on associations between active lifestyles and better health. That strengthens its relevance to symptom management. However, the researchers caution that the underlying studies varied substantially and many carried a high risk of bias.

What the review measured

Researchers led by Simone Saidel and Aimee Spector included 12 randomized controlled trials involving 1,003 women. Eligible participants were aged 40–65 and were experiencing perimenopause or early postmenopause. The literature search covered five databases through April 2025.

The trials compared physical activity interventions with another activity intervention or usual care. Researchers pooled outcomes using a statistical approach that allows effects to differ across studies, and examined results by menopausal stage and exercise category.

The analysis found statistically significant improvements in depressive symptoms, mood, psychological quality of life and overall quality of life. Reductions in depressive symptoms appeared in both perimenopause and early postmenopause. The findings concern symptom and questionnaire outcomes; they do not establish prevention of dementia, longer survival or a slower biological aging rate.

Aerobic activities included walking and dance, while the mind-body category included activities such as yoga and tai chi. The reported pattern suggested benefits across different outcomes, but it does not provide a dependable ranking of the best activity for an individual woman.

Why the uncertainty matters

Combining trials can reveal patterns that individual studies are too small to detect. It cannot remove weaknesses in how those studies were conducted. A pooled benefit therefore needs to be interpreted alongside the quality and consistency of its component evidence.

UCL’s account identifies substantial variation between trials and frequent concerns about bias. Participants came from seven countries, but geographic breadth alone does not resolve differences in intervention delivery or the assessment of menopause stages.

Many interventions also took place in groups. The researchers suggest that social connection could have contributed to improved wellbeing. That is a plausible explanation, rather than a mechanism established by this review. Separating movement itself from companionship, attention and expectations would help clarify what makes an intervention effective.

A healthspan question with specific endpoints

The broader relationship between physical activity and midlife wellbeing has been investigated for years. An earlier peer-reviewed review of physical activity during the menopause transition described evidence for mood and general health benefits while emphasizing uncertainty about some menopause-specific symptoms. The new analysis adds a focused synthesis of randomized evidence for psychological outcomes.

For healthy-aging research, quality of life is a meaningful outcome in its own right. Yet improvements in reported mood should remain distinct from claims about disease prevention or longevity. The present findings also do not demonstrate that exercise can replace medical or psychological treatment.

The next research priorities are clearer definitions of menopausal stage, stronger trial methods and better comparisons between activity formats. Establishing whether benefits persist would make the evidence more useful for long-term midlife care. For now, the review offers encouraging human evidence with meaningful limits, rather than a definitive exercise prescription.