Getting More Physical Activity May Help With Your Perimenopause Symptoms

A regular exercise routine has been shown to help with perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes and anxity. Galina Zhigalova/Moment/Getty Images

A new study reports that exercising more frequently may help alleviate perimenopause symptoms.

While increased physical activity was linked to improved perimenopause symptoms overall, the strongest association was with psychological symptoms like anxiety.

Finding exercises you enjoy and creating accountability can help increase your physical activity level.

A new study found that exercising more frequently may help alleviate perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes, anxiety, and urinary issues. 

The study results were recently presented at The Menopause Society’s 2026 Annual Conference. 

Perimenopause is the transitional period leading up to menopause. 

Due to hormonal changes that mark the end of a person’s reproductive years, symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog, insomnia, and urinary incontinence are common.

Past studies show that lifestyle modifications, such as eating a healthy diet, managing stress, and getting enough physical activity, can help reduce some perimenopause symptoms. 

“Physical activity is low cost, accessible, and already known to benefit sleep, mood, and heart and bone health — all areas that matter a great deal during perimenopause,” said study lead and co-author Liudmila Zhaunova, PhD, director of science at Flo Health — the developer of a women’s health tracking app, which was used to collect health data for this study. “But when we looked at the research, there was surprisingly little evidence specific to perimenopause.”

“Hormone therapy isn’t suitable or desired for everyone, so women deserve a broader set of evidence-based options,” Zhaunova told Healthline. “The more we understand about accessible, lifestyle-based approaches, the better equipped women and their healthcare providers are to build a plan that works for them.”

Higher rates of exercise lower perimenopause symptoms overall

Study researchers recruited more than 1,800 women from around the globe who were using the Flo app.

Study participants were asked to complete online surveys about their physical activity, from not being physically active to exercising more than 5 days a week. 

Participants were also asked to report on their perimenopause symptoms in three categories — somatic (body-based issues like hot flashes), psychological (mental health issues like mood changes), and urogenital (issues regarding the urinary or vaginal areas). Researchers rated the severity of these symptoms using the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS).

The researchers found that higher rates of physical activity were associated with fewer perimenopausal symptoms across all three categories. 

“Perimenopause symptoms are wide-ranging, and women often experience several at once,” Zhaunova said. “Seeing a lower symptom burden across all three domains suggests that being more active may be relevant to women’s overall experience, not just one symptom.”

Mental health benefits of exercise were most pronounced

Additionally, the scientists discovered that the greatest exercise benefit was observed in the reduction of perimenopausal psychological symptoms. 

“Psychological symptoms, such as low mood, irritability, anxiety, and exhaustion, are among the most disruptive parts of perimenopause, and they’re often overlooked or not recognized as related to this life stage,” Zhaunova explained.

“Our findings suggest that physical activity may matter most for mood and anxiety-related symptoms,” she continued.

“This could help women and clinicians have more informed conversations about how to support mental well-being during perimenopause. That said, women with more symptoms may find it harder to exercise, so we need further research to understand the direction of the relationship.”

How exercise may improve perimenopause symptoms

Sherry Ross, MD, a board certified OB-GYN and Women’s Health Expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, said that regular exercise could potentially help relieve perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes and mood changes. Ross wasn’t involved in this study, but noted other benefits of exercising during this life stage:

body flexibility and strength

body image and self-esteem

bone health

cardiovascular health

energy levels

immune system strength

mental health

sleep quality

weight management

“Exercise releases endorphins, improves blood vessel health, lowers inflammation, helps reset circadian rhythm, and improves the body’s internal cooling system,” Ross told Healthline. “Collectively, these changes ease anxiety, irritability, mood changes, sleep, and fatigue.”

“There were mixed reviews on how exercise benefits hot flashes, but exercise does help with weight control, which may benefit hot flashes,” she said. “Strengthening the pelvic floor and core may he