5 Research-Backed Reasons to Try Yoga in Menopause

Menopause is defined as the ‘end of your periods’ but it’s not like you flip a switch one day and it’s done. It’s a gradual transition. A slow, sometimes messy, often surprising journey into a whole new season of life. Some days it feels like you’re gliding through and other days it’s more like, who even am I right now?

That’s because menopause isn’t just about what’s happening with your hormones or your cycle. It’s a whole-body, whole-self shift. Physically, emotionally, mentally and even energetically, everything is ithrown into a flux as we move from perimenopause into menopause.

And this transition can feel very rocky indeed for some of us. From hot flushes, mood swings and brain fog, to chronic pain and disrupted sleep, our bodies seem to rise in some sort of revolt. While our minds seem to freeze.

We experience a deep disconnect between ourselves and our bodies, between our bodies and our lives.

But, as overwhelming as it can be, menopause doesn’t need to feel like a battle. It can be an invitation to slow down, reconnect and inhabit your body in a different, often wiser way.

This is where yoga becomes a valuable friend and ally. There is compelling evidence to show that yoga does help mitigate or manage many of the menopause symptoms. Research is finally catching up with what many women already know- yoga helps them feel and move better in their bodies particularly during the menopausal journey.

Yoga is so much more than ‘stretching’ or simply an exercise. As a holistic practice, yoga offers a steady anchor that holds you body, mind and spirit.

5 Core Ways in Which Yoga Supports Your Menopause Journey

1.Physical Support

Perimenopause has a way of throwing our whole musculosketal system off balance and the ripple effect shows up everywhere – stiff joints, aching muscles, loss of strength, less flexibility.

Studies show that Yoga is one of the most effective ways to meet these changes head-on. Even a gentle practice twice a week can make a real difference, helping rebuild muscle strength, keep joints supple, reduce inflammation and ease discomfort without stressing the body.

And unlike other forms of exercise, yoga meets you exactly where you are, whether your energy is soaring or scraping the floor.

A clinical study on peri-menopausal women documented strong physical improvements after yoga practice—enhanced muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and pulmonary function. Key findings included better muscle conditioning, increased oxidative capacity, and even potential benefits to bone remodelling and load-bearing capacity. PMC

2.Real Pain Relief

Aches, pains are often the first signs of perimenopause. This is because the drop in estrogen heightens pain sensitivity and increase inflammation in joints and muscles.

Yoga seems to be incredibly effective at reducing or managing these pain symptoms. On one hand it helps lubricate the joints and fascia which reduces the pain and on the other itcalms the nervous system which reduces the pain sensitivity.

A 2017 meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials involving 1,306 participants found that yoga significantly reduced somatic symptoms of menopause which include aches and pains, breast tenderness, urogenital discomfort, headaches, dizziness, palpitations, skin changes like dryness, and vaginal discomfort or dryness, and difficulty sleeping. Pubmed. Science Direct

What’s striking is that yoga often performed better than standard exercise when it came to these symptoms.

3.Emotional Support

Hormonal shifts can trigger anxiety, mood swings, foggy brain, irritability and general sense of disconnect and discontent. Gentle yoga with its focus on mindfullness can help us re-connect with our bodies and our emotions.

Physiologically, the simple act of synchronising breath and movement stimulates the parasympathetic (rest & digest) response and helps us move away from overwhelm. This alone can be a game-changer for emotional regulation and a perception of having greater agency.

A comparative cross-sectional study of 419 patients with chronic illnesses found that those with yoga experience (vs. yoga-naïve individuals) had:

• Higher mental well-being
• Greater personal control over their illness perception
• Better psychological and environmental quality of life
  Importantly, longer duration of yoga practice correlated with better well-being and less severe illness perception. PubMed

Yoga can help ground us in the present which supports the nervous system and improves emotional resilience.

4.Energetic Support

A gentle yoga and pranayama practice can boost and balance our energies in tangilble ways, leading to a greater sense of wellbeing

A study highlights how breathing techniques like pranayama can shift autonomic balance toward the parasympathetic, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and potentially contributing to a sense of restful energy or alert calm. PMC

Emerging evidence also links breath-focused practices to improved focus, decreased stress, improved sleep, resilience, and overall well-being—all potential levers for feeling more energized.

5. Psychological Support

A short-term controlled study involving healthy individuals and those with various chronic conditions showed that yoga increases a sense of wellbeing in all practitioners.

• There were significant improvements in subjective well-being inventory (SUBI)scores over just 10 days. Measures included happiness, sense of achievement, and interpersonal satisfaction—indicating rapid and meaningful boosts in life satisfaction. PubMed

Yoga gives us real tools to build resilience and strength and enables us to move through menopause with more ease, compassion and steadiness. Whether it’s a gentle practice to soothe aching joints, a cooling breath to calm a hot flush, or a few quiet minutes of meditation to reset the day, each practice invites a deeper connection with ourselves.

For a simple go-to yoga routine to help calm some of the menopausal blues click here.