Exercise as a Therapeutic and Supporting Strategy for Climacteric Symptoms: an Evidence-Based Review

AbstractClimacteric is a natural process characterized by the female hormones reduction and increased symptoms that interfere in the woman's quality of life. The objective was to raise scientific evidence on the physical exercise effects as a therapeutic strategy on climacteric symptoms. This systematic review study accessed the Virtual Health Library (VHL) and consulted articles from the last 10 years, with the following eligibility criteria; inclusion, scientific articles published in the last 10 years, with clinical, quasi-experimental, cross-sectional design and case studies conducted with women in the climacteric. Articles published before 2010 with delineations were excluded; epidemiological, systematic review, meta-analyzes, experimental studies with animal model. The studies included in the review were read in full, critically analyzed and categorized. The findings showed that active women have a reduction in vasomotor and somatic symptoms of the climacteric, also collaborating in the prevention of diseases prevalent in this period. Aerobic physical exercise improves physical fitness and quality of life indicators of climacteric women. In clinical practice, aerobic exercise can be considered an auxiliary strategy in the climacteric symptoms treatment and female health improvement. Keywords: Climacteric. Health. Physical Exercise. ResumoO climaterio e um processo natural caracterizado pela reducao dos hormonios femininos e aumento de sintomas que interferem na qualidade de vida da mulher. Objetivou-se levantar evidencias cientificas sobre os efeitos do exercicio fisico como estrategia terapeutica na sintomatologia climaterica. Este estudo de revisao sistematica acessou a Biblioteca Virtual de Saude (BVS) e consultou artigo dos ultimos 10 anos, com os seguintes criterios de elegibilidade; inclusao, artigos cientificos com delineamento clinico, quase-experimental, transversal e estudos de caso realizados com mulheres no climaterio. Foram excluidos artigos publicados anterior a 2010, com delineamentos; epidemiologico, revisao sistematica, metanalises, estudos experimentais com modelo animal. Os estudos incluidos na revisao foram lidos na integra, analisados criticamente e categorizados. Os achados demonstraram que mulheres ativas apresentam reducao dos sintomas vasomotores e somaticos do climaterio, tambem colabora na prevencao de doencas prevalentes nesse periodo. O exercicio fisico aerobio melhora a aptidao fisica e indicadores de qualidade de vida de mulheres climatericas. Na pratica clinica o exercicio aerobio pode ser considerado uma estrategia auxiliar no tratamento dos sintomas do climaterio e melhora da saude feminina. Palavras-chave: Climaterio. Saude. Exercicio Fisico.