Is Aqua Aerobics Good for Hot Flashes During Perimenopause?
Wondering if aqua aerobics helps with hot flashes during perimenopause? Learn how water-based exercise cools your body, supports hormonal balance, and eases heat surges.
Hot Flashes and Exercise: A Tricky Combination
Hot flashes are one of the most disruptive symptoms of perimenopause. They arrive without warning, sending waves of heat through your body, leaving you flushed and drenched in sweat. Exercise often helps hormonal symptoms, but high-intensity workouts can actually trigger more heat surges. That is where aqua aerobics offers something different. Working out in water keeps your core temperature lower throughout the session, making it one of the few forms of cardio that works with your body rather than against it during a hot flash-prone phase.
How Water Keeps You Cool While You Work
When you exercise in a pool, the water surrounding your body acts as a constant cooling system. Water conducts heat away from your skin far more efficiently than air, so your body temperature rises much more slowly than it would during a land-based workout of similar intensity. This matters for hot flashes because the hypothalamus, the part of your brain responsible for temperature regulation, becomes hypersensitive during perimenopause. Reducing thermal stress during exercise means fewer chances for that system to misfire and trigger a flash.
The Hormonal Benefits Worth Knowing
Aerobic exercise of any kind helps reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes over time by supporting the body's natural ability to regulate its own temperature. Regular moderate cardio has been linked in research to improvements in hot flash frequency, and aqua aerobics delivers steady aerobic work without the heat penalty. It also reduces cortisol, the stress hormone that can worsen hot flash patterns. Getting into a consistent weekly routine in the pool gives your nervous system a predictable, calming rhythm it can rely on.
Practical Tips for Getting Started
Aim for two to three sessions per week, each lasting 30 to 45 minutes. Look for classes specifically designed for adults rather than general fitness classes, as the pace and movements tend to suit perimenopause-stage fitness levels well. Wear a well-fitting swimsuit that allows free movement. Keep a cold water bottle at the pool edge and sip throughout. If you notice a hot flash coming on during class, slow your movement, stand still in the water for a moment, and breathe slowly. The water will do much of the cooling work for you.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Pool temperature varies quite a bit between venues. Warmer pools, often those used for rehabilitation, may not provide enough cooling effect and could still trigger flashes. Outdoor pools in summer present a similar challenge. Aim for a pool maintained around 26 to 28 degrees Celsius if you can choose. Also, some women find that the transition from warm water back to a cooler changing room causes a rebound flush. Drying off quickly and dressing in layers can help manage that transition.
Tracking What Works for You
Because hot flash patterns are so individual, it helps to keep a record of how your symptoms change as you add aqua aerobics to your routine. PeriPlan lets you log symptoms and track patterns over time, so you can see whether your flash frequency or intensity shifts after a few weeks of regular pool sessions. Small improvements add up, and having a clear picture of your progress makes it easier to stay motivated and adjust what you are doing.
Get your personalized daily plan
Track symptoms, match workouts to your day type, and build a routine that adapts with you through every phase of perimenopause.