Pushing too hard during exercise could backfire

Women who engage in moderate-intensity workouts are more likely to enjoy a mood boost and continue with the exercise regime than women who do high-intensity workouts, according to a new study presented at a meeting of the North American Menopause Society.

Researchers from Penn State University in Pennsylvania worked with 255 women between the ages of 40 and 60. The women were randomly assigned to do either moderate or vigorous exercise and asked to keep a daily diary of activities and feelings for two weeks.

The women who did the moderate exercise – where they completed a 30-minute session on a treadmill at a self-selected pace – reported feeling happier, calmer, more energetic and much more likely to continue with the exercise than those women who did an intense workout where they were made to run on a treadmill until they could no longer tolerate the pace.

Other examples of moderate exercise include brisk walking, dancing, biking over flat land, canoeing, baseball, water aerobics and even gardening.