A meta-analysis of 39 RCTs in postmenopausal women found exercise training improved waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL, glucose, and blood pressure, with combined training most effective.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2,132 participants pooled · 2023PostmenopausalCited 33 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 22 trials in postmenopausal women with elevated blood pressure found exercise training reduced arterial stiffness, systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to controls.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,978 participants pooled · 2024PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
A network meta-analysis of 38 trials in postmenopausal women found water exercise best improved blood pressure and total cholesterol, combined training improved triglycerides and HDL, and resistance training improved LDL.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,407 participants pooled · 2022PostmenopausalCited 16 timesPubMed
A review of 28 randomised trials in postmenopausal women aged 50 to 65 found walking combined with resistance training could preserve weight and bone density and increase muscle strength.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2,646 participants pooled · 2004Early postmenopausalCited 219 timesPubMed
A network meta-analysis of 32 RCTs in postmenopausal women found endurance, interval, resistance, and hybrid training improved flow-mediated dilation and pulse wave velocity, measures of vascular function.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,427 participants pooled · 2024PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 24 RCTs in menopausal women found yoga improved menopausal symptoms, sleep, anxiety, depression, BMI and blood pressure, but not hot flushes or quality of life.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2,028 participants pooled · 2025Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 26 RCTs in postmenopausal women found aerobic and resistance exercise reduced blood pressure and arterial stiffness, while mind body exercise like tai chi or yoga showed no clear effect.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 729 participants pooled · 2023PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 31 trials in middle-aged women found combined aerobic and resistance exercise reduced waist circumference and blood pressure, while aerobic alone did not reduce body weight and resistance alone had no significant effect.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2,202 participants pooled · 2021Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 59 trials in postmenopausal women aged 45 to 78 found aerobic training improved blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, body fat, cholesterol and fitness, with very low certainty evidence.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 4,225 participants pooled · 2024PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 41 trials found a single exercise session lowered blood pressure afterward in both pre and postmenopausal women, with resistance and aerobic exercise most effective in postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 718 participants pooled · 2024Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 11 RCTs found combined aerobic and resistance exercise, often for 12 weeks, significantly lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure in postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 12 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 28 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 9 studies found aerobic exercise training improved flow mediated dilation, a marker of vascular function, in postmenopausal individuals.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 182 participants pooled · 2022PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs in healthy postmenopausal women found aerobic exercise training produced small reductions in resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure versus control.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 687 participants pooled · 2023PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 61 RCTs with 4,100 postmenopausal women found aerobic exercise lowered blood pressure, improved lipid profile, and reduced anxiety, with no significant effect on depression or total cholesterol.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 4,100 participants pooled · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of seven trials in postmenopausal women found combined aerobic exercise and hormone therapy lowered systolic blood pressure more than aerobic exercise alone, but exercise alone improved fitness more.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 386 participants pooled · 2023PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
A network meta-analysis of 64 trials in postmenopausal women found continuous aerobic exercise best lowered blood pressure in those with hypertension, while HIIT was most effective in those without.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2,460 participants pooled · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 23 trials in 1001 postmenopausal women found concurrent aerobic and resistance training modestly improved body composition and metabolic markers, with no significant change in inflammation markers.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,001 participants pooled · 2026PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A network meta-analysis of 142 trials in postmenopausal women found combined training, aerobic exercise, resistance training and mind-body exercise each improved different metabolic syndrome risk factors.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 7,967 participants pooled · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
464 sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women with elevated blood pressure exercised at varying doses for 6 months, with fitness improving more at higher exercise doses but blood pressure unchanged.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 464 women · 26 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 484 timesPubMed
A review of reviews found combined aerobic and resistance training reduced a measure of artery stiffness (brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity) in postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 6,719 participants pooled · 2023Midlife womenCited 17 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of six RCTs found aerobic training over 12 to 20 weeks reduced arterial stiffness in women with high blood pressure, while resistance training showed a smaller, borderline effect.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2024Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 17 studies found plaza dancing reduced body weight, BMI, body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol, and improved vital capacity in middle-aged and older women.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2025Midlife womenCited 6 timesPubMed
A network meta-analysis pooling 79 trials of postmenopausal women found multi-component exercise at a higher weekly dose gave the most consistent reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 3,628 participants pooled · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
A review found that 12 to 16 weeks of recreational football training in women aged 18 to 65 improved aerobic fitness, blood pressure, fat loss, lipid profile and bone mineralisation.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2018Midlife womenCited 45 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes following a 6-month Mediterranean lifestyle program combining diet, exercise and stress management reported improved blood sugar control, BMI and quality of life versus usual care.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 279 women · 26 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 168 timesPubMed
A review of 13 studies in postmenopausal women found combined aerobic and resistance exercise, and aerobic exercise alone, improved cardiorespiratory fitness and arterial stiffness, particularly pulse wave velocity.
Direction not statedSystematic review · 700 participants pooled · 2024PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
A systematic review of 12 RCTs found strength exercises in menopausal women reported improvements in leg and pelvic floor strength, bone density, metabolic and hormonal markers, blood pressure, and hot flashes.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2023Midlife womenCited 24 timesPubMed
In 15 sedentary postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of brisk walking improved treadmill fitness but did not change brachial artery flow mediated dilation, unlike men who improved.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 15 women · 8 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 175 timesPubMed
A systematic review of randomized trials in menopausal and postmenopausal women found exercise training lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure, with combined aerobic and resistance training showing the largest reductions.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2021Midlife womenCited 23 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 60 studies found resistance training reduced resting heart rate and blood pressure in postmenopausal women, with modest improvements in vascular function and no adverse cardiac structural changes.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2026PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
A systematic review of 51 studies found aerobic, resistance, interval or stretching exercise improved arterial stiffness in healthy young, middle-aged and older women, varying by age and exercise type.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2023Midlife womenCited 20 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors cycling three times weekly for 15 weeks showed improved heart rate recovery and a non-significant drop in C-reactive protein versus controls.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 52 women · 15 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 140 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women on a 12 week calorie restricted diet with added aerobic and resistance exercise lost more fat and preserved lean mass compared to diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 118 women · 12 weeks · 1993PostmenopausalCited 155 timesPubMed
A 6-month aerobic exercise program in overweight postmenopausal women with elevated blood pressure increased fitness and reduced weight and waist circumference but did not change blood pressure or lipid or inflammatory markers.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 267 women · 26 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 90 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women at increased cardiovascular risk were assigned to different doses of aerobic exercise training for six months to study effects on fitness and heart disease risk factors.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 450 women · 26 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 83 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with borderline to stage 1 hypertension, walking an extra 3 km daily for 24 weeks lowered systolic blood pressure but not diastolic blood pressure.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 24 weeks · 2001PostmenopausalCited 154 timesPubMed
A review of 7 studies found combined resistance and aerobic training, typically 12 weeks at moderate intensity, reduced arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity in postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 12 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women with elevated blood pressure did 6 months of aerobic exercise at three doses, and all exercise groups showed improved endothelial function versus controls.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 155 women · 26 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 79 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with elevated blood pressure did 3 months of daily walking or sodium restriction; both lowered resting systolic pressure, but sodium restriction reduced it three to fourfold more than walking.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 35 women · 12 weeks · 2001PostmenopausalCited 130 timesPubMed
24 postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of combined resistance and endurance training, which reduced arterial stiffness, blood pressure and heart rate, and increased leg and handgrip strength versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 12 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 107 timesPubMed
In 535 premenopausal women aged 44 to 50, a 6-month diet and physical activity program reduced weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar compared with no intervention.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 520 women · 26 weeks · 1995PerimenopausalCited 78 timesPubMed
In 45 postmenopausal women over 8 weeks, endurance exercise combined with curcumin lowered aortic systolic blood pressure and arterial stiffness more than either alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 45 women · 8 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 82 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women who walked three times weekly for 12 weeks with or without an EGCG supplement showed reduced waist circumference and body fat, with no difference between supplement and placebo.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 38 women · 12 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 95 timesPubMed
Healthy sedentary postmenopausal women did 18 weeks of resistance or aerobic training, and aerobic training reduced arterial wave reflection while resistance training did not change it.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 23 women · 18 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 103 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of low-intensity resistance training with or without diet, and researchers found resistance training combined with diet improved arterial stiffness and muscle strength while preserving lean mass.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 41 women · 12 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 79 timesPubMed
A review of 35 studies found two thirds showed improved endothelial function with exercise training in postmenopausal women, with effects varying by intensity, duration and hormone therapy use.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2022PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
In 20 postmenopausal women with hypertension, 12 weeks of combined resistance and aerobic exercise improved blood pressure, arterial stiffness, fitness and body composition versus no exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 12 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 78 timesPubMed
Women aged 32 to 59 did 12 weeks of moderate resistance training or aerobic training; resistance training did not increase arterial stiffness, while aerobic training reduced it, and neither changed blood pressure.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 35 women · 12 weeks · 2009Midlife womenCited 79 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did 24 weeks of aquatic resistance exercise or elastic band training, both reducing body fat and blood pressure and improving strength and fitness tests similarly.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 46 women · 24 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 69 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 20 randomized trials in postmenopausal women found exercise based rehabilitation reduced vasomotor symptoms but showed no significant pooled effect on BMI, blood pressure, or physical performance.
No difference foundMeta-analysis · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Obese postmenopausal Korean women did 16 weeks of yoga exercise and showed reduced body fat, blood pressure and insulin resistance, with increased HDL cholesterol and adiponectin, versus a no-exercise control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 women · 16 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 75 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women walking five days weekly at varying intensities and doses showed small improvements in diastolic blood pressure and blood glucose, but no change in lipids or insulin.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 246 women · 2003PostmenopausalCited 53 timesPubMed
A review of 14 RCTs of physical activity programs in premenopausal and postmenopausal women found all studies reported improvement in at least one cardiorespiratory fitness or cardiovascular risk variable.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2022Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
In 43 postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of aerobic exercise combined with lactotripeptide supplementation improved blood vessel dilation more than either exercise or supplement alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 43 women · 8 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 59 timesPubMed
In obese postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of whole-body vibration combined with l-citrulline supplementation reduced blood pressure wave reflection more than supplement alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 41 women · 8 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 48 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with heart disease followed a lifestyle program combining diet, exercise and stress management for 24 months, reporting improved body mass and quality of life versus usual care.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 28 women · 104 weeks · 2000PostmenopausalCited 75 timesPubMed
In a 20-week RCT, postmenopausal women with stage 2 hypertension who swam 3 to 4 days a week showed reduced arterial stiffness and blood pressure and increased strength and aerobic capacity versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 100 women · 20 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed
17 sedentary postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of moderate or vigorous cycling exercise, and both intensities reduced carotid arterial stiffness similarly.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 17 women · 12 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 71 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women, 2 weeks of low-volume high-intensity interval cycling raised peak oxygen uptake while a longer moderate-intensity continuous program did not reach significance for that measure.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 18 women · 2 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 58 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women with high blood pressure did 8 weeks of whole-body vibration training with or without L-citrulline, and vibration training increased leg strength and lowered leg artery stiffness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 41 women · 8 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 48 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with stage 2 hypertension, 12 weeks of stair climbing four days a week reduced arterial stiffness and blood pressure and increased leg strength compared to no change in controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 41 women · 12 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 42 timesPubMed
In 34 men and postmenopausal women, 6 weeks of increased daily walking reduced triglycerides, while raisins and walking together lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, researchers reported.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 34 women · 6 weeks · 2008Midlife womenCited 55 timesPubMed
In 33 postmenopausal women over 12 weeks, both low-intensity resistance training and whole-body vibration improved blood vessel function and leg strength, while resistance training also improved gait speed.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 33 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 42 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a moderate exercise program with or without estrogen for 6 months, and exercise alone reduced cholesterol and LDL and increased fitness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 101 women · 26 weeks · 1994PostmenopausalCited 60 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women with prehypertension did 10 weeks of moderate aerobic exercise and showed lower blood pressure and improved blood vessel function compared with controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 10 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 45 timesPubMed
A review of 15 intervention studies found that physical activity combined with calorie-restricted diets in postmenopausal women generally reduced body weight, fat mass and waist size and improved blood sugar and fitness.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2010PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with prehypertension or hypertension who did 12 weeks of whole-body vibration training had reduced arterial stiffness and blood pressure and increased leg strength versus no-exercise controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 25 women · 12 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 46 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 60 to 72 did 11 months of endurance exercise, hormone therapy, both, or neither, and exercise lowered total and LDL cholesterol while HRT raised HDL cholesterol.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 71 women · 44 weeks · 1996PostmenopausalCited 57 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with stage 1 hypertension, 12 weeks of resistance band training raised estradiol and other hormones, lowered systolic blood pressure and body fat, and increased lean mass.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 41 timesPubMed
In obese postmenopausal women, 16 weeks of aerobic exercise reduced body fat, glucose, insulin and blood pressure, and raised sex hormone binding globulin, versus no change in controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 16 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 45 timesPubMed
Twenty nine postmenopausal breast cancer survivors did 15 weeks of combined walking and resistance training, and the exercise group showed improved fitness, blood pressure, weight, insulin, glucose and cholesterol measures.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 29 women · 15 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 45 timesPubMed
In a 6 month trial, obese postmenopausal women doing higher doses of aerobic exercise had greater reductions in exercise blood pressure than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 404 women · 26 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 26 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal hypertensive women, 12 weeks of water-based aerobic exercise reduced systolic blood pressure similarly to dry land aerobic training, both versus no exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 12 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 37 timesPubMed
Obese, sedentary postmenopausal women underwent a 6-month lifestyle change program with increased physical activity and reported reduced weight, fat mass, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 44 women · 26 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 48 timesPubMed
In 65 postmenopausal women with high cardiovascular risk, 12 weeks of exergaming improved fitness and blood vessel function similarly to treadmill exercise, and both reduced heart fat thickness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 65 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did stretching exercises three days a week for eight weeks and researchers reported reduced blood pressure and arterial wave reflection compared to a no-exercise group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 28 women · 8 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 40 timesPubMed
Elderly postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of supervised resistance training versus stretching; the resistance group gained muscular strength and reduced systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 29 women · 12 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed
Early postmenopausal women did periodized high intensity resistance and impact exercise for a year, and spine bone density was maintained versus a significant decline in the non-exercise control group.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 128 women · 52 weeks · 2010Early postmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a 12 week home-based bench step exercise program and showed improved BMI, blood pressure, glucose, LDL cholesterol and arterial stiffness measures.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did 2 months of flamenco and sevillanas dance three times weekly, improving mobility, balance, physical activity, and fitness, but not blood pressure, weight, or quality of life.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 52 women · 8 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
Healthy women aged 50 to 65 did 12 weeks of combined aerobic plus resistance training or aerobic training alone, and combined training improved growth hormone, body fat, glucose and blood pressure more.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 22 women · 12 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 40 timesPubMed
Twenty two postmenopausal women did two months of walking and cycling, and the exercise group showed increased pentraxin 3, HDL cholesterol, peak oxygen uptake and arterial compliance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 22 women · 8 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 35 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women tested brief standing or walking breaks during prolonged sitting; walking breaks lowered post-meal glucose response and standing breaks improved vascular function versus sitting.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 10 women · 2017PostmenopausalCited 36 timesPubMed
Hypertensive postmenopausal women did two resistance training protocols and researchers found lighter loads with more repetitions increased sympathetic activity and heart rate more than heavier, lower-repetition training.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 15 women · 2018PostmenopausalCited 32 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women, six months of aerobic training combined with higher habitual daily steps produced greater reductions in waist circumference and weight than aerobic training with lower daily steps.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 325 women · 26 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women completed 8 to 12 weeks of high intensity interval or continuous aerobic training and researchers found improved blood vessel function, with HIIT showing stronger effects than moderate training.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 48 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
In 35 obese postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome, resistance band training improved blood glucose, insulin resistance, lipids, blood pressure, body fat and lean mass compared to no change in controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 35 women · 2021PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
Protocol describes a planned 12-month trial testing a diet and physical activity weight management program in overweight postmenopausal women attending breast screening; no results reported yet.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 414 women · 52 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
Inactive pre-menopausal women with mild hypertension who did one year of small-sided soccer training had greater reductions in blood pressure and fat mass, and improved bone mineral density, lipids and fitness than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 52 weeks · 2017OtherCited 25 timesPubMed
A 12-week program encouraging aerobic exercise and lifestyle changes in women aged 50-65 reported decreases in waist-to-hip ratio, BMI, blood pressure and weight compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 90 women · 12 weeks · 2006Midlife womenCited 26 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with prehypertension or hypertension who did 6 weeks of whole-body vibration training showed reduced aortic blood pressure and wave reflection and increased leg muscle strength versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 28 women · 6 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women cycling for 12 weeks at either low or moderate intensity both showed increased central arterial compliance, with no difference between intensities.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 15 women · 12 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did low-intensity resistance training with slow movement, diet, or both for 12 weeks; resistance training prevented muscle loss seen with diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 41 women · 12 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
In 38 dynapenic-obese postmenopausal women over 12 weeks, resistance training improved physical capacity while caloric restriction with or without resistance training improved body composition and metabolic markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 38 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 26 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome, 8 weeks of resistance training or HIIT reduced weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, with HIIT improving metabolic markers more and resistance training improving muscle mass and strength more.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 45 women · 8 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 6 weeks of twice-weekly hypertrophic resistance training and showed improved resting heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, body fat, and muscle strength versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 37 women · 6 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of resistance training improved blood pressure, estimated peak VO2 and total cholesterol compared with controls, with no change in homocysteine.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 45 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis did brisk walks and aerobic exercise for one year; the training group reduced waist circumference versus controls, with no significant changes in blood pressure or lipids.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 92 women · 52 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Twenty-two postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of progressive resistance training, and researchers found increased strength, reduced waist circumference, cholesterol and blood glucose, with no change in blood pressure.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 22 women · 12 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
Obese, inactive postmenopausal Black women at breast cancer risk did 6 months of supervised or home-based aerobic exercise and researchers found reduced allostatic load scores compared with controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 213 women · 26 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal obese black women with a family history of breast cancer did six months of supervised or home-based walking exercise and showed improved metabolic syndrome scores compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 213 women · 26 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 14 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women in a diet and physical activity lifestyle programme maintained improvements in weight, cholesterol and blood pressure measures from 6 to 18 months, though some benefits partly declined.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 489 women · 78 weeks · 1998Midlife womenCited 19 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women and men with normal, impaired or diabetic glucose tolerance did 4 months of Nordic walking, and researchers found vascular function measures did not improve and did not differ by gender.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 201 women · 16 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
26 overweight, middle-aged women used pedometers for 12 weeks, increasing daily steps by 36% and lowering systolic blood pressure, but weight and body fat did not differ from controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 12 weeks · 2009Midlife womenCited 26 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight middle-aged women followed either a 30-minutes-a-day walking goal or a 10,000-steps-a-day pedometer goal for 12 weeks, and the steps group increased activity more than the minutes group.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 30 women · 12 weeks · 2011Midlife womenCited 24 timesPubMed
Menopausal women aged 45 to 59 practiced Rusie Dutton traditional Thai exercise for 13 weeks and showed significant improvements in fitness, flexibility, blood pressure and quality of life versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 13 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 20 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome features did 6 months of low-load circuit resistance or aerobic cycling training; both groups reduced body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol with no difference between methods.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 34 women · 24 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
In 14 inactive postmenopausal women with hypertension, beetroot juice before aerobic exercise lowered post-exercise blood pressure and improved vascular dilation more than placebo over one week.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 14 women · 1 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with stage-2 hypertension did 12 weeks of Taekwondo training, and researchers reported decreased blood pressure, arterial stiffness and epinephrine, and increased grip and leg strength.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 21 timesPubMed
In overweight postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of interval sprint cycling reduced arterial stiffness and increased aerobic fitness compared with a control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 60 women · 8 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 16 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women with high blood pressure who did whole-body vibration training three times weekly for 12 weeks showed reduced ankle and aortic blood pressure and arterial stiffness versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 36 women · 12 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of resistance training with or without DHA supplementation, with training maintaining bone mineral content, increasing lean mass and strength, and improving glucose tolerance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 36 timesPubMed
Overweight or obese middle-aged women did a single resistance exercise session, after which blood pressure was lower than after a rest session, including overnight.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 13 women · 2013Midlife womenCited 25 timesPubMed
Chinese menopausal transition and early postmenopausal women followed a 12-month diet and aerobic activity program; the intervention group showed greater decreases in weight, blood pressure and cholesterol than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 100 women · 52 weeks · 2014PerimenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women with prehypertension did 8 weeks of whole body vibration training, which lowered blood pressure and improved heart rate variability balance versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 25 women · 8 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women with hypertension did 6 months of cardiorespiratory exercise at varying doses, and higher doses were reported to improve metabolic syndrome components more.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 40 timesPubMed
Healthy postmenopausal women took cyclic hormone therapy for 3 months and researchers found it increased peripheral blood flow during exercise but did not improve peak oxygen uptake or exercise tolerance.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
Perimenopausal women did 4 months of concurrent aerobic and resistance training; the exercise group showed lower LDL cholesterol than a counseling-only group.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 150 women · 16 weeks · 2018PerimenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
In healthy postmenopausal women, 6 months of cycle ergometer aerobic training three times weekly improved forearm blood flow and reduced sympathetic nerve activity, regardless of estrogen therapy.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 45 women · 26 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training at different weekly frequencies, and researchers reported reduced resting blood pressure and improved vascular properties.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 79 women · 16 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
In 10 sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of cycling endurance training increased peak oxygen consumption by 16% and lowered resting heart rate and blood pressure during exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 10 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
A 3-month trial will compare pedometer-based walking programs of differing intensity against a control group for effects on blood pressure in 120 sedentary postmenopausal women.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 120 women · 12 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Healthy postmenopausal women walked for 12 weeks with or without hormone therapy, and both groups showed improved peak oxygen uptake regardless of hormone use.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 23 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed
An 18 week functional training program in postmenopausal women lowered blood pressure and heart rate and improved heart rate variability compared to a non-exercising control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 39 women · 18 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Hypertensive postmenopausal women did a single 40-minute treadmill session with beetroot juice, placebo juice, or a drink; blood pressure fell similarly after exercise regardless of beverage.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 13 women · 2019PostmenopausalCited 16 timesPubMed
In 84 sedentary climacteric women with metabolic syndrome, 24 weeks of yoga reduced metabolic syndrome frequency and improved waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, glucose and inflammation markers compared with controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 84 women · 24 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
In middle-aged hypertensive women, 3 weeks of green tea extract did not change blood pressure or heart rate after resistance exercise but was linked to lower mean arterial pressure during recovery.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 24 women · 3 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
After 6 months of combined aerobic and resistance exercise, postmenopausal women taking phytoestrogens showed greater reductions in weight, fat mass and blood pressure than those on placebo.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 21 women · 26 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
In sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of step-counting programs increased daily steps and activity but changed only body mass index among clinical outcomes measured.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 115 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
In 62 menopausal women, 12 weeks of resistance and endurance circuit training combined with time-restricted eating reduced BMI, fat mass, glucose and insulin more than training alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 62 women · 12 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
Low-income middle-aged Korean women did an 8 week lifestyle program including physical activity, nutrition and stress management, and reported better health-promoting behavior, cognitive function and lower blood pressure than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 63 women · 8 weeks · 2021Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 6 months of cycle ergometer aerobic training with or without estrogen therapy, and aerobic training prevented the daytime blood pressure rise seen with estrogen alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 47 women · 26 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
Obese menopausal women did 6 months of caloric restriction with or without resistance training; adding resistance training improved muscle strength more in women with low baseline strength.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 109 women · 26 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
A 10-week intermittent walking programme in 36 obese postmenopausal women reduced thyroid stimulating hormone, triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure, and improved fitness and HDL cholesterol.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 36 women · 10 weeks · 2026Early postmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
Sixteen normotensive postmenopausal women did 30 minutes of aerobic exercise with or without l-arginine, and exercise alone lowered systolic blood pressure over 24 hours without changing inflammatory markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 women · 2016PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
In sedentary hypertensive postmenopausal women, an 8-week program of short, intermittent moderate-intensity activity sessions lowered resting blood pressure compared with no change in activity.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 18 women · 8 weeks · 2001PostmenopausalCited 16 timesPubMed
Ten hypertensive postmenopausal women did handgrip exercise with dietary nitrate or placebo, and blood pressure during exercise did not differ between conditions, though forearm blood flow was lower with nitrate.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 10 women · 2019PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a single session of high or moderate intensity exercise with beetroot juice nitrate supplement, and high intensity exercise plus nitrate improved blood vessel dilation more than control.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 24 women · 2023PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
In older women with metabolic syndrome, 16 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training improved fitness and strength but did not change body composition, blood pressure or lipid and glucose profiles.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 25 women · 16 weeks · 2022Midlife womenCited 8 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with hypertension who did 12 weeks of standard aerobic training showed little blood pressure drop, but all who switched to high-intensity interval training saw significant reductions.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 65 women · 24 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In healthy older women, 8 weeks of resistance training combined with fish oil increased handgrip strength and lowered blood pressure and inflammatory markers more than resistance training with placebo.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 8 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
In 25 hypertensive women followed 9 years through menopause, soccer-based exercise training reduced blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol, and kept fasting glucose stable compared to non-exercising controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 25 women · 468 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women did five days of isometric handgrip training or quiet sitting; blood pressure fell in both groups with no added benefit from the training.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 18 women · 1 weeks · 2011Midlife womenCited 10 timesPubMed
In sedentary postmenopausal women on hormone therapy, a 3-month walking program increased carotid artery compliance by about 40%, reaching levels similar to premenopausal women.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 12 women · 12 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 143 timesPubMed
Twenty-six obese middle-aged women with prehypertension did 6 weeks of resistance plus moderate or high-intensity aerobic training; both groups improved body composition, blood pressure, and fitness, with resistance plus HIIT improving lipids more.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 6 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 6 timesPubMed
Untrained postmenopausal women did a single high-intensity interval training session, and researchers found blood pressure and heart rate variability measures worsened afterward compared to a non-exercise control.
Reported a worseningRandomised trial · 16 women · 2022PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
Late premenopausal and early postmenopausal women did 3 months of high-intensity aerobic training, which reduced weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and improved insulin response similarly in both groups.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 79 women · 12 weeks · 2017Midlife womenCited 64 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight or obese postmenopausal women underwent a diet based weight loss program with or without resistance training, and visceral fat measured by two methods decreased similarly after the intervention.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 92 women · 2012PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In overweight and obese middle-aged women, 2 months of moderate aerobic exercise improved fitness and reduced body weight and blood pressure but did not change cognitive or motor performance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 8 weeks · 2021Midlife womenCited 13 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 45 to 59 did a 6 month strength and stamina exercise programme in water and on land, which lowered systolic blood pressure and insulin more than no exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 63 women · 26 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
In 26 postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of combined exercise with ursolic acid supplementation raised handgrip strength more than exercise with placebo, but waist circumference and other outcomes did not differ.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 26 women · 8 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of indoor or outdoor training three times weekly, and indoor training improved body composition and fitness more while outdoor training improved blood pressure, strength and adherence.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 23 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of functional HIIT or combined aerobic and resistance training; only the combined training group showed a significant drop in systolic blood pressure, and HIIT was not equivalent.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 49 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
In 288 overweight postmenopausal Chinese women, a 3-month theory-based education program raised physical activity and diet behavior and improved weight, waist circumference and blood pressure versus conventional education, sustained to 12 months.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 288 women · 52 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal hypertensive women doing 8 weeks of aerobic exercise in mineral spring water showed reduced blood pressure and body fat and improved fitness versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 8 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Healthy postmenopausal women took estrogen or placebo for 12 weeks in a crossover trial, and estrogen did not improve treadmill exercise tolerance, oxygen uptake, or blood pressure response to exercise.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 1996PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
In 20 postmenopausal women, two handgrip exercise protocols caused different acute blood pressure and heart rate responses, with peak changes staying below safety guidelines.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 20 women · 2018PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Healthy postmenopausal women took low-dose estrogen or placebo for 6 months then cycled; estrogen did not change postexercise blood pressure or sympathetic nerve activity drops.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 18 women · 24 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
Sedentary, mildly hypertensive middle-aged women who did soccer training for 15 weeks showed increased heart mass and improved heart relaxation measures compared to controls.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 41 women · 15 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 4 timesPubMed
Hypertensive postmenopausal women did single sessions of interval step exercise or continuous walking, and both acutely lowered systolic blood pressure compared to a no-exercise control session.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 12 women · 2023PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity used a mobile and internet diet and exercise program for 12 weeks and showed reduced waist circumference, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 67 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 54 timesPubMed
Non-obese postmenopausal women did 10 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training; blood pressure fell with exercise, with no added benefit from isoflavone supplementation.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 38 women · 10 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women who followed 6 months of hypocaloric diet plus low-intensity walking lost weight and abdominal fat and improved lipid and glucose measures, in both Caucasian and African-American women.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 76 women · 26 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 63 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with hypertension cycled at moderate intensity three times weekly for 12 weeks, and baseline blood pressure and nighttime readings predicted who responded with lower blood pressure.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 65 women · 12 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Breast cancer survivors, including postmenopausal women, did 12 weeks of combined treadmill and stretching exercise, which improved resting blood pressure and oxygen saturation compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 48 women · 12 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 4 timesPubMed
In 40 postmenopausal women, a 24-week Tai Chi (Bafa Wubu) program lowered systolic blood pressure, improved cholesterol levels, and improved vascular endothelial function compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 40 women · 24 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
In 15 hypertensive postmenopausal women, citrulline before plantarflexion exercise with cold stress reduced the rise in aortic systolic blood pressure compared with placebo.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 15 women · 2022PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women without cardiac disease, a crossover trial found oral estrogen had no significant effect on heart rate, blood pressure or treadmill exercise echocardiography measures.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 1997PostmenopausalCited 14 timesPubMed
Older postmenopausal women did elastic band resistance training with or without seawater supplement for 32 weeks, and both groups reported lower systolic blood pressure, with inflammation reduced in the seawater group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 93 women · 32 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
In 13 sedentary postmenopausal women, a single session of treadmill exercise lowered blood pressure afterward and nearly doubled post-exercise blood vessel dilation compared with premenopausal women.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 13 women · 2005PostmenopausalCited 64 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women performed resistance exercise with different set configurations, and shorter sets with more frequent rest reduced cardiac and baroreflex strain compared to longer sets.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 50 women · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
In 12 postmenopausal women, acute dietary nitrate before handgrip exercise reduced blood pressure at rest and during exercise without changing blood flow, compared to a placebo drink.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 12 women · 2024PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women took oral estrogen or placebo for 90 days and underwent exercise testing, with researchers finding estrogen did not improve exercise capacity.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 23 women · 13 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
In 25 physically active postmenopausal women doing 12 weeks of multicomponent training, fasted versus fed exercise did not differ in body composition, blood pressure or fitness changes.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 25 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a single high intensity interval exercise session with or without light therapy and researchers found no added benefit of the light therapy on blood pressure or recovery.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 16 women · 2022PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A pilot trial of diet, exercise and stress management in 49 perimenopausal Latinas found the program feasible and acceptable for reducing cardiovascular risk factors over 12 months.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 49 women · 52 weeks · 2026PerimenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did 13 weeks of moderate walking training; it lowered inflammatory TNF-alpha and cortisol/DHEA-S ratio and reduced cardiovascular measures regardless of ACE gene type.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 36 women · 13 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
In middle-aged women, 10 weeks of cyclic yoga reduced weight, body fat, blood pressure and postural musculoskeletal issues, and increased muscle mass percentage versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 42 women · 10 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 1 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a 12-week fitness walking program and showed improved triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar, waist circumference and HDL versus controls who worsened.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Twelve postmenopausal women performing different aquatic exercise movements showed lower blood pressure responses with a rocking motion than running or scissor kicks at matched perceived exertion.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 12 women · 2015PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
In 29 postmenopausal women, a single session of high-intensity interval or isometric resistance exercise lowered blood pressure afterward, with effects varying by exercise type and vasomotor symptom status.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 29 women · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
A 4 week minimal dose resistance training program in 26 menopausal women improved bench press and leg press strength, while cardiac autonomic and hemodynamic measures stayed stable.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 26 women · 4 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 1 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with and without type 2 diabetes, blood pressure responses to isometric exercise were similar across groups and were not changed by one month of estrogen or hormone therapy.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 40 women · 4 weeks · 2002PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
In 16 hypertensive postmenopausal women, six weeks of capnometric breathing feedback training reduced 24 hour systolic blood pressure compared with an untrained control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 32 women · 6 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors who did 15 weeks of combined walking and resistance training improved aerobic capacity, resting heart rate, body weight and BMI, with no change in blood pressure.
No difference foundControlled trial · 29 women · 15 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did supervised aerobic and resistance training three times weekly for 10 weeks and showed improved fitness and artery compliance, but no change in blood pressure or lipids.
No difference foundControlled trial · 28 women · 10 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 29 timesPubMed
62 postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of tai chi; dynapenic women showed improved handgrip strength, function and health perception, and both groups had lower blood pressure.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 62 women · 12 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
In Australian women aged 45 to 55 followed for about three years, increases in physical activity were linked to increases in HDL cholesterol and wellbeing.
Direction not statedCohort study · 292 women · 156 weeks · 1997Midlife womenCited 18 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women with subclinical hypothyroidism or obesity did 12 weeks of combined resistance and aerobic training, improving body fat, fitness and blood pressure but not thyroid hormones or lipids.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 40 women · 12 weeks · 2019Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
Obese middle-aged women did 12 weeks of combined resistance and aerobic training, which lowered body fat, blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, and visfatin versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 20 women · 12 weeks · 2011Midlife womenCited 21 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did brisk walking with or without added yoga for three months, and adding yoga produced greater improvements in BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 139 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
In postmenopausal women aged 50-60, 8 weeks of Tai Chi combined with time-restricted eating improved cholesterol levels and endothelial function more than time-restricted eating alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 142 women · 8 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
Postmenopausal women with controlled hypertension or normal blood pressure did 12 weeks of Mat Pilates three times weekly; resting blood pressure decreased over time in both groups with similar responses.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 47 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women, a 15-week resistance training program reduced hot flush frequency for up to 6 months, but the benefit was not maintained at 2-year follow-up.
No difference foundCohort study · 35 women · 104 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women received a 12-week community behavioral program targeting diet and physical activity, and waist circumference and activity behaviors improved over 24 weeks versus controls.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 46 women · 24 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
In 23 postmenopausal women aged 44 to 75, 4 weeks of estrogen therapy lowered LDL and raised HDL cholesterol but did not change heart rate or blood pressure responses during treadmill exercise overall.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 23 women · 4 weeks · 1999PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
In a pilot RCT of 31 postmenopausal women with hypertension, supervised aerobic exercise improved VO2 max and heart rate variability over 12 weeks, with a greater reduction in blood pressure variability than home based walking.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
In a 12-week trial, sedentary postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes who did combined aerobic and resistance training showed increased adropin levels and reduced arterial stiffness compared with usual care.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
In an 8-week trial, both aerobic-only and combined aerobic plus resistance training lowered blood pressure in middle-aged women with prehypertension, with combined training giving a larger diastolic reduction.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 8 weeks · 2025Midlife womenPubMed
A modeling study of 10,854 Australian women aged 50 to 55 found shifting everyone to meet physical activity guidelines reduced modeled rates of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer and depression more than smaller uniform increases.
Reported an improvementCohort study · 10,854 women · 2014Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
15 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did combined aerobic and resistance exercise in different orders, and aerobic-first order showed lower blood glucose and greater blood pressure reduction.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 15 women · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
In a 12-week trial, healthy postmenopausal women who did supervised Nordic walking three times weekly reduced body mass, fat mass, insulin level and systolic blood pressure compared with controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 39 women · 12 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
A single session of multijoint isometric exercise lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure over 24 hours, including sleep, in 10 medicated hypertensive postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 10 women · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
In 16 hypertensive postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of combined circuit exercise reduced arterial stiffness, body weight and total cholesterol compared with controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 16 women · 12 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
51 middle-aged Korean women did 12 weeks of self-management or structured walking classes; both groups showed improved body fat and blood pressure with no difference between them.
No difference foundControlled trial · 51 women · 12 weeks · 2011Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
In 47 postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of Mat Pilates reduced resting blood pressure in both hypertensive and normotensive groups and reduced stress-related blood pressure spikes only in hypertensive women.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 47 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Sedentary women with metabolic syndrome, menopausal or not, did 12 weeks of resistance training and showed no improvement in resting or post exercise blood pressure compared to sedentary controls.
No difference foundControlled trial · 43 women · 12 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did combined aerobic and anaerobic exercise plus diet for 12 weeks and lost more fat with preserved lean mass versus diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 118 women · 12 weeks · 1994PostmenopausalPubMed
In menopausal and non-menopausal women with metabolic syndrome, three months of aerobic training improved abdominal fat, blood glucose and fitness but did not change resting or post-exercise blood pressure.
No difference foundControlled trial · 44 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In 851 postmenopausal women aged 45 to 64, higher leisure physical activity was linked to higher HDL cholesterol and lower insulin and fibrinogen levels, with no link to blood pressure.
No difference foundCross-sectional study · 851 women · 1996PostmenopausalCited 44 timesPubMed
Overweight pre and postmenopausal women following a meal replacement diet plus guided exercise from week 6 to 24 both lost weight, with postmenopausal women showing greater improvements in blood pressure, triglycerides and glucose.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 72 women · 24 weeks · 2007Midlife womenCited 53 timesPubMed
Sedentary women aged 40 to 60 did a 26 week multicomponent exercise program; postmenopausal women showed greater blood pressure and waist reductions, premenopausal women showed greater lipid and glucose improvements.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 38 women · 26 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
Sixteen postmenopausal women tried mat Pilates, aerobic exercise, resistance exercise and a control session, and blood pressure fell after aerobic and resistance exercise but not after Pilates.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 16 women · 2019PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
Forty-four postmenopausal women with cardiometabolic conditions did 12 weeks of Mat Pilates, which lowered blood pressure and triglycerides more in those with a single condition than multiple conditions.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 44 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors did 16 weeks of whole-body resistance training and showed increased muscle strength, reduced fatigue, improved quality of life, and lower inflammatory markers.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 11 women · 16 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 40 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of Bungy Pump Training, 3 times weekly, and showed greater gains in fitness and reductions in visceral fat and body fat than women doing daily activity.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 56 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
In middle-aged women, a 12 week mobile autonomy support program with physical activity and diet guidance reduced waist circumference and systolic blood pressure.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 12 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 2 timesPubMed
Over 24 months, climacteric women practicing yoga showed reduced BMI, body fat, blood pressure and fasting glucose, and higher HDL and estradiol, compared with sedentary controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 182 women · 104 weeks · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
A controlled trial of 102 sedentary climacteric women with metabolic syndrome found 24 months of Shivam Yoga reduced fasting glucose, blood pressure, waist circumference and menopausal symptom scores.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 102 women · 104 weeks · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
A 12-week aquatic HIIT program in postmenopausal women improved blood lipids overall and lowered blood pressure in some genotype groups, with no consistent arterial stiffness benefit.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 47 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
In 23 untrained and 19 resistance trained middle-aged women, a single resistance exercise session reduced large artery and brain blood vessel function but increased small vessel blood flow responses more in trained women.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 42 women · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
A 12 week aerobic training program in postmenopausal women with one or more cardiometabolic conditions reduced morning surge blood pressure but did not consistently improve arterial stiffness.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 41 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Among 173 midlife women aged 45 to 65 entering a home-based walking program, more African American women than Caucasian women had hypertension and low physical fitness at baseline.
Direction not statedCross-sectional study · 173 women · 2001Midlife womenCited 12 timesPubMed
In a trial of 28 postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of a ring fit adventure exergame twice weekly reduced arterial stiffness and increased HDL cholesterol compared with no exercise.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 28 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Ninety middle-aged Korean women with obesity did three months of aerobic exercise training and researchers found improved body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol and adiponectin levels.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 90 women · 12 weeks · 2013Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
In ten late postmenopausal women, 10 weeks of high-intensity floorball training increased fitness and reduced blood pressure, and increased prostacyclin formation, but did not improve leg vascular responsiveness.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 10 women · 10 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
In a 6-month personalized lifestyle program, 75 women aged 35 to 55 reported reduced waist circumference, lower diastolic blood pressure and improved menopausal symptoms and physical activity.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 75 women · 26 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 5 timesPubMed
Fifty-nine obese peri- and postmenopausal women did six weeks of HIIT, which reduced blood pressure and anthropometric measures, with menopausal status predicting plasma volume changes.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 59 women · 6 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
In 56 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors, a multimodal exercise and health education program reduced metabolic syndrome prevalence, hypertension, central obesity, and triglycerides, and improved quality of life after 3 months.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 56 women · 12 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Sixty six obese menopausal women followed a structured diet and exercise program for three months and showed reduced weight, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol, and better quality of life.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 66 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A review of exercise training in hypertensive postmenopausal women reported that aerobic and resistance exercise were linked to improved blood pressure, lipid profiles and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Reported an improvementOther · 2018PostmenopausalCited 56 timesPubMed
This narrative review summarized medical literature finding that regular exercise in midlife and postmenopausal women is linked with reduced obesity, cancer, dementia, mood symptoms, and osteoporosis.
Reported an improvementOther · 2015Midlife womenCited 56 timesPubMed
Hypertensive postmenopausal women on blood pressure medication did 12 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training; blood pressure reactivity to stress decreased in all groups, with mixed effects on variability.
Mixed resultsBefore-and-after study · 47 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
A review reported that aerobic exercise improves artery stiffness in older men and women but endothelial function improvements seen in men are not consistently found in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women.
Mixed resultsOther · 2024Midlife womenCited 40 timesPubMed
Obese middle-aged women were followed one year after an 18 week jogging and diet program; researchers reported fitness and cholesterol ratio gains were maintained with continued self-directed training.
Direction not statedBefore-and-after study · 13 women · 52 weeks · 1991Midlife womenCited 2 timesPubMed
Among 55 postmenopausal women enrolled in a resistance training program, higher waist circumference and lower education were associated with greater likelihood of hypertension at baseline.
Direction not statedCross-sectional study · 55 women · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Middle-aged Korean women over 40 did 12 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise and showed significant improvements in body composition, blood pressure, fitness and metabolic measures overall.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 185 women · 12 weeks · 2014Midlife womenPubMed
A trial protocol will compare 3 months of inspiratory muscle strength training to brisk walking in postmenopausal women with elevated blood pressure, but results are not yet reported.
Direction not statedOther · 72 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
A review reported that habitual running and aerobic exercise were linked to higher bone density, better fitness, lower blood pressure and reduced coronary risk in women including postmenopausal groups.
Reported an improvementOther · 1991Midlife womenCited 29 timesPubMed
A review reported that regular aerobic and resistance exercise during early postmenopause may improve vascular function via higher nitric oxide and oestradiol levels, though effects are less consistent in oestradiol deficient women.
Mixed resultsOther · 2026Midlife womenCited 10 timesPubMed
A crossover study protocol will compare acute blood pressure and cardiovascular responses of 60 postmenopausal women to resistance training sessions with different set and rest configurations.
Direction not statedOther · 60 women · 2024PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
A review compared how physical activity and estrogen therapy each affect cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood vessel function in postmenopausal women, finding both may offer cardiovascular benefit.
Direction not statedOther · 1999PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
This protocol describes a planned 12-week resistance training trial comparing set configurations in postmenopausal women, with cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes but no results yet reported.
Direction not statedOther · 40 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
This article discussed how physical activity can reduce menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular disease risk in women, but intervention programs are often not sustainable.
Direction not statedOther · 2025Midlife womenCited 1 timesPubMed
A protocol describes a crossover and 10 week trial comparing 60% versus 80% 1RM resistance training on blood pressure and heart measures in 20 postmenopausal women with hypertension, with results not yet reported.
Direction not statedOther · 20 women · 10 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
This review reports that combining L-citrulline supplementation with structured exercise may reduce arterial stiffness and increase leg muscle strength and lean mass in postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementOther · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed