The efficacy of an exercise and lifestyle intervention for postmenopausal women living in North Queensland

Abstract

Exercise has been found to have a positive effect on the health and well-being of postmenopausal women. The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether an eight-week exercise and lifestyle education intervention had an effect on the health status and QoL of postmenopausal women living in North Queensland. This is the first data from an ongoing project. Participants took part in an eight-week group-based exercise intervention of three sessions per week incorporating aerobic and resistance training in a circuit style format and were given informational handouts on various lifestyle topics for postmenopausal women. Pre and post-test measurements were taken and included peripheral bone density, resting heart rate and blood pressure, blood lipids and cholesterol, anthropometric measures, upper and lower body muscular strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, menopausal QoL and exercise self-efficacy. At the completion of the intervention, participants were invited to take part in a focus group to explore their experiences of the program. Fifteen sedentary postmenopausal women volunteered to take part, of which eleven participants completed 90% of the intervention. Participants improved in waist girth (p = 0.00), cholesterol (p = 0.00), upper body strength (p = 0.00), lower body strength (p = 0.05), psychosocial (p = 0.01) and physical (p = 0.03) domains of QoL. Participants enjoyed the shared identity and social interaction of the group-based exercise. They also enjoyed feeling stronger and being able to perform daily activities more easily. Findings from this pilot study demonstrate that an eight-week group-based exercise intervention is sufficient to achieve improvements in some health status and QoL outcomes for postmenopausal women, although a longer duration may be required. However, participants found the exercise intervention to be a positive experience, providing the motivation needed for future exercise participation.