Exercise

Regular physical activity confers numerous health benefits, ranging from increased longevity and decreased risk of coronary heart disease, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, colon cancer, and hip fracture to an improved sense of well-being and functional status. These benefits are the long-term consequence of physiological adaptations of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, metabolic, and hormonal systems to varying modes and intensity of activity. Although these adaptations occur at whatever stage in the life cycle regular physical training occurs (childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, old age) and persist as long as training continues, they may either complement, conflict with, or be obscured by physiological changes and challenges that accompany different developmental stages. Little is known about the relationship between physical activity and age at menopause. In seven studies that have examined predictors of age at menopause, only one reported on the effect of physical activity. In that study, women were followed prospectively, and physical activity at baseline was assessed by self-report using the Alumni Study questionnaire, which asks about participation in sports and exercise and number of stairs climbed, and city blocks walked. Age at menopause did not differ by activity level, either between women above and below the median energy expenditure or between women above and below the 20th percentile of energy expenditure.

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