Is Qigong Good for Brain Fog During Perimenopause?
Brain fog in perimenopause can affect memory, focus, and clarity. Discover how qigong supports cognitive function through improved circulation and stress reduction.
Brain Fog and Perimenopause: What Is Happening
Brain fog is a real and frustrating symptom for many women in perimenopause. It shows up as difficulty concentrating, forgetting words mid-sentence, walking into a room and having no idea why, or feeling like your thinking is running through mud. The main driver is oestrogen fluctuation. Oestrogen has a protective effect on the brain, supporting memory, processing speed, and mental clarity. As levels shift unpredictably, cognitive function can feel unreliable. Poor sleep, which is also common in perimenopause, makes it significantly worse.
How Qigong Supports Brain Function
Qigong improves cerebral blood flow, which means more oxygen and nutrients reach the brain during and after practice. Several studies have looked at mind-body practices and cognitive function in older adults, with promising results for attention, memory, and processing speed. The focused, intentional nature of qigong also trains attention itself. You are practising staying present, coordinating breath with movement, and holding gentle mental focus. Over time, this kind of practice can help rebuild the concentration that brain fog tends to erode.
The Stress-Cognition Connection
Chronic stress is one of the biggest contributors to poor cognitive function. When cortisol stays elevated for extended periods, it can impair memory consolidation and make it harder to think clearly. Qigong has a well-documented cortisol-lowering effect. By reducing the physiological burden of stress, it creates better conditions for clear thinking. Many women notice that their mental clarity is sharpest in the hours following a qigong session, suggesting an acute effect on top of the longer-term benefits.
Practical Ways to Use Qigong for Clarity
A short morning qigong routine of 10 to 15 minutes can help clear mental cobwebs before a busy day. If you have an important meeting or task requiring concentration, practising beforehand may improve your focus during it. Some practitioners also use brief standing qigong breaks during the workday, similar to how others might take a short walk. The key is regularity. Think of it as mental maintenance rather than a one-off fix.
What to Combine It With
For brain fog, qigong works well alongside good sleep habits, hydration, and reducing reliance on caffeine, which can worsen brain fog despite the short-term alertness it provides. If you are tracking symptoms in PeriPlan, logging workout sessions alongside your brain fog ratings can reveal whether practice days correlate with sharper thinking. Diet also plays a role, and an anti-inflammatory eating pattern supports the same neurological health that qigong promotes.
Getting Started Without Overwhelm
Starting a new practice when you already feel mentally scattered can feel daunting. The good news is that qigong is designed to be simple. Most beginner routines use the same handful of movements repeated in a flowing sequence, so there is not much to learn or remember. Choose a set time each day, even if it is just 10 minutes, and stick to it for two weeks before deciding whether it is helping. Many women report that a noticeable improvement in mental clarity arrives around the two to three week mark.
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