Matted

Ladies - get your mats ready!

Research suggests that yoga is actually superior to physical exercise for relieving vasomotor symptoms (e.g.  hot flashes and sleep disturbances) perceived stress and neuroticism in perimenopausal women.

The new study, published in the journal Menopause, compared the effects of 8 weeks of simple, trainer-supervised physical exercise to integrated yoga (sun salutation with 12 postures, breathing practices and cyclic meditation) in 120 perimenopausal women.

Positive, significant benefits were seen in all measures among women who were part of the yoga versus the physical exercise group.

Yoga appears to be a wonderful way to relieve some of the more troublesome menopausal symptoms without medication. I wouldn’t give up any physical exercise that you engage in but adding a yoga component to your routine may be provide some additional benefits.

Yoga classes are offered throughout the country in local gyms, specialized centers and often through the local YMCA or YWCA. If you’ve never participated in a class, you can learn more about the practice of yoga at  the following sites:

• The American Yoga Association offers a great introduction to yoga
• The Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States also has some well-written content on their website, and oversees instructor certification. They may be a good resource for finding an instructor
• Yogajournal.com is a great resource for videos, teachers, community, blogs, etc. and a wonderful place to get started

Finally, I just want to mention that that is not me in the photo. If I were ever able to get into that position, it might take me months to get out of it!