"Exercise isn't only great for your heart, your waistline, and your bones," says Wulf Utian, M.D., executive director of the North American Menopause Society. "It can also reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, which some women experience during menopause. Women who exercise seem to tolerate the symptoms of menopause better; I think it's that they have a better self-image and sense of well-being." Fatigue from interrupted sleep caused by night sweats may also make women feel blue and anxious, Utian says. "Ask someone who doesn't sleep how they feel."

Two recent studies show that physical activities such as brisk walking and yoga may help take the edge off the menopause blues. A recent Temple University study found that women who walked briskly on a regular basis throughout their menopausal transition (about eight years) had lower levels of stress and less anxiety and depression compared with inactive women. Walking and yoga also improved the mental health and quality of life of menopausal women who had low levels of activity before they participated in a Penn State University study. The women who exercised also had fewer menopausal symptoms.