Symptoms
To understand what running can do, you have to understand the common symptoms that often mark this time in a woman's life. According to the Mayo Clinic, women often can have increased belly fat, hot flashes, hair loss, dramatic shifts in mood, incontinence and weakening of the bones to look forward to. Mayo Clinic recommends women turn to hormone therapy and antidepressants, but also suggests that treatment include "moderate physical activity."
Study
Runner's World Magazine, in conjunction with the Melpomene Institute for Women's Health, looked at more than 620 women who were pre- and post-menopausal, with an average age of 50. They were trying to find out how running impacted an aging women's health. Most women complained of experiencing a slower pace and increased aches while running, but the benefits of running seemed to outweigh the negatives. More than three-fourths of the women studied said running helped to relieve menopausal symptoms.
Physical Benefits
Women in the joint Melpomene Institute/Runner's World study referred to running as a weight-gain and fatigue fighter. In addition, the American Journal of Public Health found that bone density was 5 percent higher for women runners in menopause than in their counterparts who did not run. For those who led a sedentary life, the distinction between the runner and "couch potato" was most marked; the female runner had 8 percent higher bone density. The Journal also reports that women over the age of 50 who didn't exercise at least two times a week were nearly 85 percent more likely to develop a fracture than their active counterparts. The University of California-Berkeley also reports that the risk of developing heart disease decreased by nearly 30 percent for female runners.
Emotional Benefits
Of all the positives that women in the Runner's World/Melpomene study attributed to running, the #1 source of satisfaction with this activity was its impact on enhancing their mood. Nearly 31 percent of those studied referred to the improvement in their emotional health as the biggest change running brought to their lives.
Mental Benefits
According to a National Institutes of Health study, post-menopausal women who exercised at least 70 minutes a week or three to four times a week reported striking improvements not only in energy and relief of mood swings and depression, but in cognitive functioning. Participants attributed their walking, running and everything-in-between programs to their ability to think better at work and to perform everyday tasks more efficiently and effectively.
Tags: Runner World, also reports, also reports that, benefits running, bone density