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 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 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 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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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