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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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 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 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