A new study has revealed that weight loss programs taken up as part of regular workouts may help relieve menopause-related symptoms amongst women.

The study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that physical symptoms of menopause like weight gain and hot flashes became less frequent and severe amongst women who had a regular workout regimen.

The research was conducted across a sample size of 338 obese women over six months. Several parameters including weight, body mass index, physical activity, calorie intake, blood pressure and abdominal circumference were analyzed before and after the experiment.

The women were the split into two groups with one undergoing a behavioral weight loss program and the other taking up a structured health education program. It was found that those who were part of the weight loss program reported reductions in weight, BMI and waist size besides a drop in frequency of hot flashes.

Writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the research team suggested that overweight or obese women who suffer from hot flashes benefitted through the weight loss program. They also revealed that losing weight can also make obese women less prone to breast cancer.

It has been observed that weight gain through adulthood results in a bigger risk of breast cancer after menopause for women who fail to undergo proper menopausal hormone therapy. Losing weight to keep hot flashes at bay may also indirectly help them stay secure from breast cancer, the researchers say.