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Exercise eases depression in menopausal women, UCL meta-analysis finds

By Drooid · Oct 14, 2026, 4:27 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

University College London researchers found exercise reduces depression and improves quality of life for menopausal women in the United Kingdom.
The meta-analysis pooled 12 randomized trials with more than 1,000 women aged 40-65.
Aerobic activities such as walking, Zumba, and dance produced the strongest reductions in depressive symptoms.
Ten of the twelve trials were high risk of bias, prompting calls for larger, well-designed studies.

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Story summary

University College London researchers found exercise reduces depression and improves quality of life for menopausal women in the United Kingdom.
The meta-analysis pooled 12 randomized trials with more than 1,000 women aged 40-65.
Aerobic activities such as walking, Zumba, and dance produced the strongest reductions in depressive symptoms.
Ten of the twelve trials were high risk of bias, prompting calls for larger, well-designed studies.