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
Overweight postmenopausal women at high diabetes risk broke up prolonged sitting with brief standing or walking, which reduced after-meal blood glucose and insulin responses compared with uninterrupted sitting.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 22 women · 2016PostmenopausalCited 192 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.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 38 women · 12 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 95 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
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 14 healthy women over 50, slow postmeal walking for 15 or 40 minutes lowered and delayed the blood glucose rise after a carbohydrate-rich meal compared with sitting.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 14 women · 2009Midlife womenCited 53 timesPubMed
In 24 sedentary women aged 41 to 55, 12 weeks of brisk walking improved fitness and reduced body fat, lowered the post-meal insulin response, but did not change the post-meal triglyceride response.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 12 weeks · 1995Midlife womenCited 54 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
Female cancer survivors averaging age 52 did a year of supervised aerobic plus resistance training or home-based activity, with the fitness center group showing greater treadmill time and heart rate recovery gains.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 154 women · 52 weeks · 2017Midlife womenCited 19 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
In 24 sedentary postmenopausal women with obesity, 10 weeks of low-volume walking reduced body weight, fat mass, blood glucose and HbA1c, raised fitness, and did not change bone markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 10 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 16 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women who followed a 12-week systematic walking program showed greater increases in HDL cholesterol and greater decreases in insulin than a control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 12 weeks · 2003Midlife womenCited 22 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
In untrained postmenopausal women, moderate-intensity interval walking and continuous walking training produced similar improvements in glucose, insulin, HDL cholesterol and aerobic fitness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 32 women · 2014PostmenopausalCited 14 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 15 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, 12 weeks of circuit resistance exercise improved glycemic control, body composition and adipokines more than walking exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 15 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 13 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
In 9 trained and 13 untrained women around age 40 to 44, a 90 minute walk before a high fat meal reportedly lowered post meal blood fat levels compared with no exercise.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 22 women · 1997Midlife womenCited 84 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 10 weeks of Nordic walking or Pilates, and Nordic walking produced larger improvements in weight, blood glucose and cholesterol than Pilates.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 147 women · 10 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 34 timesPubMed
Moderately obese postmenopausal women did diet alone or diet plus walking and resistance exercise for 24 weeks, and both groups lost weight with no added effect of exercise on blood lipids or glucose.
No difference foundControlled trial · 41 women · 24 weeks · 1996PostmenopausalCited 51 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
Fifteen postmenopausal women did a 30 minute walk after meals of different glycaemic index, and timing did not change fat oxidation during exercise or post-exercise appetite.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 15 women · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Eight postmenopausal women added daily brisk walking to a high-carbohydrate diet for 3 days, and researchers found this suppressed fasting and postprandial leptin levels compared to diet alone.
Direction not statedControlled trial · 8 women · 2003PostmenopausalCited 35 timesPubMed
Overweight premenopausal and postmenopausal women did a 16-week brisk walking program, which lowered glucose area under the curve but did not improve the overall cardiometabolic risk profile.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 30 women · 16 weeks · 2013Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
Diabetic postmenopausal women did treadmill walking before or after meals; exercising after meals raised bone formation markers and lowered insulin resistance more than exercising before meals.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 15 women · 2019PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
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
Twenty postmenopausal women at risk for heart disease did a 2 week diet and daily walking program and showed reduced BMI, insulin, cholesterol, and some inflammatory markers.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 20 women · 2 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 82 timesPubMed
100 older postmenopausal Japanese women did a 12-week Nordic walking program, and changes in uric acid and triglycerides correlated with changes in insulin resistance.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 100 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79, higher recreational activity and habitual walking were associated with lower fasting insulin levels, independent of obesity and other factors.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 3,500 women · 2006PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
Inactive pre and postmenopausal women with obesity did a 16 week walking program and showed reduced insulin resistance, improved fitness and body fat, but increased triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 29 women · 16 weeks · 2018Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
Nine overweight perimenopausal Japanese women walked over 10,000 steps daily with reduced calorie intake for 12 weeks and showed improved insulin resistance markers but no change in weight or body composition.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 9 women · 12 weeks · 2008PerimenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed