The potential role of exercise in the alleviation of menstrual disorders and menopausal symptoms: a theoretical synthesis of recent research

Research in the last decade has advanced our understanding of menstrual disorders and menopause. Paralleling this research has been both a popular and a scholarly interest in the correlates and consequences of aerobic exercise. The purpose of this paper is to integrate these two domains on a theoretical and, when possible, an empirical level, and to discuss the potential benefits of exercise in the treatment of menstrual disorders and menopausal symptoms - specifically, dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, hot flashes, and osteoporosis.