Exercise
Exercise is effective in helping women tolerate menopausal symptoms (Hammar, 1990, Slaven, 1997).
Randomize Controlled Trials show mixed results in effectiveness of decreasing frequency of hot flashes but consistently show improvement in quality of life and sleep quality (Luoto, 2012, Mansikkamaki 2016)
Women who have previously exercised should be encouraged to continue to do so.
Women who have never exercised should be advised to start very slowly with low-impact types of exercise such as walking.
Women who receive recommendations for exercise during their visits to a physician are significantly more likely to start and stick to an exercise regimen, especially those who receive written prescriptions for exercise (Lawton 2009).
Pedometers can be a helpful way for women to get an objective measure of their daily exercise output.