Influence of physical activity on quality of life in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

The present study aimed to conduct a review on the association between exercise and quality of life in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. A search was performed in PubMed, SciELO, SpringerLink and Sport Discus databases to identify relevant articles that addressed this association. We used the following descriptors in the English and Portuguese languages: osteoporosis, exercise, menopause, women, physical activity, quality of life/osteoporose, exercfcio ffsico, menopause, mulheres, atividade ffsica, qualidade de vide. Regarding quality of life and physical aspects like muscle strength and balance, with the exception of two studies, all others have reported improvement in quality of life and in physical domain of participants. Intervention with exercise has proved essential to improving the quality of life of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Activities that aim at the improvement of muscle strength and balance are essential to prevent falls, and consequently to reduce the incidence of fractures in this population. (c) 2014 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.