Effect of Aerobic Exercise Vs Surya Namaskar on Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women Using Menopause Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) Questionnaire

Background: Menopause marks a significant change in a woman’s quality of life, which is often associated with physical, psychological, and vasomotor symptoms that can affect overall quality of life of the women. Regular physical activity such as aerobic exercise and Surya Namaskar is known to improve physical fitness, improve hormonal balance, and mental well-being of the women. However, limited studies have compared their effects specifically on postmenopausal women’s quality of life. By comparing these interventions, we would be able to put forward which approach may be more effective in improving the quality of life, decreasing symptoms and potentially preventing long term health issues in this population. Methods: 56 postmenopausal women aged 45–55 years were randomly divided into two groups. Group A practiced aerobic exercise, and Group B practiced Surya Namaskar. Both groups underwent their respective exercise protocol for 4 days a week for 4 weeks. The Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire was filled before and after the intervention to evaluate changes across vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual domains. Results: Both interventions showed significant improvement in MENQOL scores, indicating enhanced quality of life. However, the Surya Namaskar group demonstrated greater improvement in psychosocial and vasomotor domains compared to the aerobic exercise group, suggesting additional mind–body benefits. Conclusion: Both aerobic exercise and Surya Namaskar effectively improve quality of life in postmenopausal women, with Surya Namaskar showing slightly superior results. Incorporating yoga-based movements into lifestyle interventions may offer holistic benefits for managing menopausal symptoms..