Yoga Improves Menopausal Symptoms

In a recent single-blinded trial, 80 women between the ages of 40-50 who were experiencing moderate to severe menopausal symptoms and not taking hormonal therapy were assigned to either a brisk walking group (control), or a specific form of yoga known as Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY). In this year-long study, participants in the yoga group were given 3 lessons per week in SKY yoga, including training in 4 specific breathing techniques, and were encouraged to practice yoga daily at home. Women that attended less than 70% of the weekly classes were excluded from the final analysis, as were women in the control group that walked bristly (for 30-40 minutes each morning) less than 70% of total days.

In addition to small but statistically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose, women in the SKY group had significant improvements in many menopausal-specific quality of life scores, including vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, as well as psychosocial symptoms including difficulty sleeping, depression, and memory. While 89% of women in the brisk walking group reported having moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms, only 15% of women in the SKY group did. Interestingly, the SKY group also had significant increases in RBC, hemoglobin, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase levels. It’s worth noting that other types of yoga, including hatha yoga, have shown similar improvements in menopausal-related quality of life symptoms, with a systematic review of randomized trials finding improvement in both vasomotor and psychosocial symptoms through yoga.