The Best Exercises For Menopause Relief

Menopause marks the opening of a new chapter in your journey. However, for many women, this threshold is marked by uncomfortable body changes that make the journey unbearable. If you are one of these women, hang in there -- the clouds do eventually lift. Meanwhile, try alleviating your menopausal symptoms with exercises.

Stress Reduction Exercises

In her book "The Menopause Self-Help Book," Dr. Susan Lark says that stress reduction exercises help to balance the rapidly fluctuating hormone levels and body chemistry due to menopause. Low-impact exercise that requires focus, such as bicycling or tai-chi, can help to shed menopausal tensions that leave you feeling irritable and overwhelmed, according to MayoClinic.com. Meditative exercises also bump-up the production of endorphins, the "feel good" neurotransmitters that counteract stress.

Yoga

A woman's life can be summarized in four stages and 26 yoga poses, according to Patricia Walden, yoga instructor and author of "The Women's Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness." As a spiritual and physical exercise, yoga can help to ease menopausal symptoms like depression, hot flashes and irritability, Walden says. If you're a beginner, seek the advice of a qualified trainer to determine which poses are best for your specific menopausal symptoms.

Bone Strengthening

Tired and fatigued joints are often a byproduct of menopause that leads to osteoporosis and bone fractures. MayoClinic.com says that strength training exercises can help to slow bone loss and reduce pain by increasing muscle protection and range of motion, and recommends gentle resistance training that tires the muscles after about 12 repetitions. In addition, exercises that rotate hips, ankles, wrists and shoulders, and flex fingers, toes, elbows and the spine can help to relieve stiffness and joint sensitivity.