A meta-analysis of 101 trials with 5,697 postmenopausal women found aerobic training reduced fat mass and resistance training increased muscle mass, with combined training offering both benefits.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 5,697 participants pooled · 2023PostmenopausalCited 28 timesPubMed
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 17 randomized trials in menopausal women found exercise improved body fat, waist circumference, triglycerides, and lumbar spine bone density compared with no exercise.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 792 participants pooled · 2018Midlife womenCited 16 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.
Mixed resultsMeta-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 15 RCTs with 1,110 middle-aged women found aerobic exercise reduced waist circumference and blood glucose and increased VO2 max.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,110 participants pooled · 2022Midlife womenCited 6 timesPubMed
A review of 52 studies in overweight middle-aged and older adults found exercise, mainly aerobic training, helped preserve fat-free mass during weight loss from calorie restriction, more than restriction alone.
Direction not statedSystematic review · 2010PostmenopausalCited 262 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
Overweight to obese postmenopausal women followed diet, exercise, or both for one year; combined diet and exercise produced the greatest weight loss, exercise alone a smaller loss.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 399 women · 52 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 320 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
Postmenopausal women with abnormal cholesterol did one year of aerobic exercise, diet, or both; diet plus exercise reduced LDL cholesterol while exercise alone did not change weight or diet.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 180 women · 52 weeks · 1998Midlife womenCited 328 timesPubMed
Sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women doing a year of moderate-intensity exercise, mostly walking, lost more body weight and body fat than a stretching control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 168 women · 52 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 292 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women exercised at three doses for 6 months and all exercise groups significantly reduced waist circumference, with higher doses showing less weight loss than predicted.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 411 women · 26 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 182 timesPubMed
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
In obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, 16 weeks of aerobic training combined with resistance training improved glucose disposal more than aerobic exercise alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 28 women · 16 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 307 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 12 months of diet, aerobic exercise, or both; diet and diet plus exercise raised adiponectin and lowered leptin, exercise alone had smaller effects.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 100 timesPubMed
A systematic review of three studies found that exercise combined with dietary interventions during the menopause transition may limit increases in body fat and weight gain.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2014PerimenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did moderate or vigorous treadmill walking for 20 weeks during calorie restriction; both exercise groups preserved lean mass but showed no extra loss of abdominal fat versus diet alone.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 95 women · 20 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 128 timesPubMed
439 overweight postmenopausal women did 12 months of diet, exercise, or both; vitamin D levels did not differ by group but rose more with greater weight loss.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 86 timesPubMed
In 173 overweight sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 months of moderate aerobic exercise lowered insulin and leptin levels compared with a stretching control group.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 117 timesPubMed
In 75 inactive postmenopausal breast cancer survivors, 6 months of moderate aerobic exercise reduced body fat, increased lean mass, and maintained bone density compared with usual care.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 75 women · 26 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 123 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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 267 women · 26 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 90 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did diet, exercise, or both for 14 weeks; CRP fell with all approaches but exercise alone changed weight and leptin only slightly.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 33 women · 14 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 150 timesPubMed
In 115 obese or overweight sedentary postmenopausal women, a yearlong moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program reduced C-reactive protein by 10% versus an increase in stretching controls.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 115 women · 52 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 106 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did aerobic exercise five days a week for a year, gaining fitness and losing weight, with oxidative stress markers decreasing most in those with the largest fitness gains.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 88 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women who did a year of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise about 3.6 days per week lost more body weight and body fat than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 320 women · 52 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 75 timesPubMed
In 173 sedentary overweight postmenopausal women randomized to a one year aerobic exercise program or stretching, exercisers lost weight and showed a progressive rise in ghrelin levels.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 168 women · 52 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 98 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women lost weight over 16 weeks via diet or mainly exercise, and exercise produced greater fat loss, preserved lean mass, and some differences in sex hormones compared to diet.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 243 women · 16 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 66 timesPubMed
Inactive postmenopausal women did 150 or 300 minutes per week of aerobic exercise for a year, and the higher volume group lost more total body fat.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 384 women · 52 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 53 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, 12 months of diet or diet plus exercise reduced disordered eating scores, while exercise alone did not change eating behaviors versus control.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 35 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 6 months of moderate intensity exercise, and weight loss and aerobic fitness both improved, with some variation by FTO genotype.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 234 women · 26 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 48 timesPubMed
In 421 sedentary postmenopausal women, 6 months of aerobic exercise at three different doses did not improve C-reactive protein, though weight loss was linked to CRP improvement.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 421 women · 26 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 42 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 12 months of diet, aerobic exercise, or both, and aerobic exercise preserved lean mass while diet alone reduced it.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal breast cancer survivors, 6 weeks of interval or continuous aerobic training both improved cardiorespiratory fitness by about 12%, with interval training also improving strength and weight more.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 33 women · 6 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 58 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women were randomized to diet, exercise or combined diet plus exercise for six months and researchers found exercise alone produced a mean 2.5 kg weight loss and changes in adipose tissue gene expression correlated with weight loss.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 45 women · 26 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 58 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did a year of aerobic exercise five days a week, and nondense fatty breast tissue decreased relative to controls while dense breast tissue did not differ significantly.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 320 women · 52 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 40 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with fatty liver disease did 24 weeks of supervised aerobic activity, reducing waist circumference, raising HDL cholesterol, and improving fitness versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 40 women · 24 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 51 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 20 weeks of calorie restriction with or without aerobic exercise, and adding exercise raised blood adiponectin levels despite similar weight loss.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 70 women · 20 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 45 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did six months of exercise with or without isoflavone supplementation, and exercise plus isoflavone reduced body weight and abdominal fat more than exercise alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 26 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 57 timesPubMed
In overweight postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of HIIT or HIIT plus resistance training reduced abdominal and visceral fat more than moderate-intensity continuous training.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 27 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 47 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 12 months of exercise, diet, or both, and diet-based weight loss groups showed a small increase in the IGF-I to IGFBP-3 ratio versus control.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 31 timesPubMed
In obese postmenopausal women, both aerobic and combined aerobic plus strength training reduced body fat and increased fat-free mass, with combined training producing a greater fat percentage reduction.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 65 women · 2016PostmenopausalCited 41 timesPubMed
Overweight and obese women who added aerobic exercise to a 14-week diet program lost more intra-abdominal fat on CT scans than those on diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 209 women · 14 weeks · 2005Midlife womenCited 39 timesPubMed
Overweight middle-aged women trained at their maximal fat oxidation intensity five days a week for 10 weeks and showed reduced body fat, weight and triglycerides compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 10 weeks · 2016Midlife womenCited 44 timesPubMed
Perimenopausal women who walked briskly three or more times weekly for 12 weeks reported greater reductions in menopausal symptom scores, cholesterol, triglycerides and weight than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 111 women · 12 weeks · 2014PerimenopausalCited 35 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women with a history of weight cycling who did a 12-month diet and/or aerobic exercise program improved insulin resistance as much as non-cyclers, with no difference in adherence.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 27 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
Postmenopausal women did a 1-year exercise and/or low-fat diet program, and metabolic syndrome score improved with exercise, diet or both, driven mainly by body fat loss.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 149 women · 52 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 34 timesPubMed
In obese middle-aged women over 20 weeks, adding aerobic exercise to a dietary weight-loss program reduced abdominal adipocyte size more than diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 45 women · 20 weeks · 2006Midlife womenCited 46 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
Overweight postmenopausal women did a 12 month calorie restriction, aerobic exercise, or combined diet and exercise program; diet related arms showed greater drops in dietary inflammatory index, mostly explained by weight loss.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 365 women · 52 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 20 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
Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women did a year of moderate exercise, and those with certain CYP19 and COMT gene variants lost more total and percentage body fat.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
In 302 postmenopausal women in a year-long aerobic exercise trial, researchers found body fat measures correlated with fatty breast tissue and weakly with fibroglandular tissue.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 302 women · 52 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Overweight middle-aged women doing aerobic training three times weekly for 3 months, with or without daily orange juice, both lost fat and improved anaerobic threshold, with juice linked to better LDL and HDL changes.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 12 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 37 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women did 12 months of moderate aerobic exercise, and researchers found reduced PEDF, a blood vessel regulator, compared to a stretching control group.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did 30 or 45 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week for 12 weeks; longer duration produced greater gains in fitness, body composition and HDL cholesterol.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 35 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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 325 women · 26 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed
In inactive postmenopausal South Asian women, 12 weeks of Bhangra dance or gym-based exercise did not significantly reduce visceral fat overall, but fat loss occurred in women with high attendance.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 75 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
35 sedentary postmenopausal women with obesity did 12 weeks of endurance or concurrent training; both reduced fat mass, with myokine changes differing by exercise type but not menopause status.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 35 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
Previously sedentary women aged 40 to 66 exercised three days a week for a year, and DXA detected a small increase in fat-free mass not found by other measurement methods.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 76 women · 52 weeks · 2000Midlife womenCited 33 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal smokers, adding 6 months of moderate exercise to smoking cessation treatment slowed BMI increase and reduced cigarettes per day but did not raise quit rates.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 301 women · 26 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
Inactive postmenopausal women who did recreational team handball twice weekly for 16 weeks showed improved lumbar spine bone density, bone markers and postural balance versus controls.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 67 women · 16 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 20 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
Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 70 in a 20 week diet and aerobic exercise weight loss trial lost less lean mass when they ate more protein during caloric restriction.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 20 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 63 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
Over 12 weeks, obese postmenopausal women doing endurance or concurrent aerobic and resistance training reduced fat mass, with concurrent training also increasing lean mass and differing effects on sex hormones like testosterone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 35 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Breast cancer patients did 16 weeks of resistance plus HIIT or aerobic plus HIIT during chemotherapy; at 5 years fatigue did not differ from usual care, but gluteal pain sensitivity was reduced with resistance HIIT.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 240 women · 16 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 13 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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 92 women · 52 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 200 minutes a week of aerobic exercise for 12 months and researchers found fat loss partly explained exercise-related changes in estradiol and SHBG.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 320 women · 52 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 16 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
Obese women aged 50 to 61 did 8 weeks of aerobic or resistance exercise; both reduced weight, waist circumference and body fat, and raised apelin-12 levels.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 8 weeks · 2019Midlife womenCited 22 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 12 months of varying doses of aerobic exercise, and greater fitness gains were linked to less compensation that offset expected weight loss.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 360 women · 52 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
A one-year moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program in overweight, sedentary postmenopausal women improved fitness and reduced body fat but did not significantly change blood cholesterol levels versus stretching controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 170 women · 52 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
Midlife women did a year of home-based aerobic exercise with slight calorie restriction, showing greater weight loss at 6 months that faded by 12 months, but lasting HDL cholesterol improvement.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 203 women · 52 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 17 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did a year of diet, aerobic exercise, or both, and body weight, glucose and inflammation markers improved regardless of antidepressant use.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 13 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
Obese postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of HIIT or endurance exercise with a calorie restricted diet, and the HIIT group lost twice as much weight and had higher adherence than the endurance group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 11 women · 16 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
Twenty postmenopausal women did high-intensity treadmill training for 3 months, and researchers reported added infrared light improved muscle power and reduced leg fatigue versus training alone.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 20 women · 12 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 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
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
Obese postmenopausal women did aerobic treadmill exercise plus diet for 3 months and showed reduced inflammatory and endothelial markers versus no intervention.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 80 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 14 timesPubMed
47 African American and Caucasian postmenopausal women did 6 months of aerobic training, reducing body weight, body fat and BMI, but resting metabolic rate did not change with exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 47 women · 26 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
Overweight women aged 40 to 65 did an 8-week virtual reality cycling exercise program, which reduced BMI and depression scores more than indoor cycling or control.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 8 weeks · 2023Midlife womenCited 29 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did 8 weeks of whole body vibration, circuit resistance, or aerobic training, with vibration showing no body composition benefit and a strength decrease versus other methods.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 8 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 28 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal overweight women at high breast cancer risk did 12 weeks of HIIT, moderate exercise, or usual care; HIIT was feasible and improved fitness more than usual care, with no weight difference.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 44 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
Sedentary men and postmenopausal women with overweight/obesity did 3 weeks of vigorous treadmill exercise with calorie restriction, reducing weight, fat mass and improving insulin sensitivity without changing gut microbiome.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 3 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 10 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women, 12 months of aerobic exercise at increasing weekly volumes up to 300 minutes produced progressively greater reductions in weight, fat mass and abdominal fat than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 720 women · 52 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women averaging 56 years, 12 weeks of treadmill exercise improved waist circumference, HDL cholesterol, interleukin-6 levels and exercise capacity compared to a control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 46 women · 12 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
In 49 postmenopausal South Asian women doing 12 weeks of aerobic exercise, reductions in visceral fat were linked with improved glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 49 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
After a 12 month moderate to vigorous exercise program, postmenopausal women had lower body mass index and lower foot plantar pressures than a control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 121 women · 52 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women who lost weight via a supervised aerobic exercise trial, reduced physical activity and increased sedentary time during follow-up were linked to weight regain.
Reported a worseningRandomised trial · 227 women · 2019PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women who did a 6-month weight loss program with or without aerobic or resistance exercise reduced body fat, insulin and leptin, but adiponectin levels did not change.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 40 women · 26 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 121 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did 6 months of supervised aerobic training; it reduced BMI and body fat and increased aerobic fitness but did not significantly change leptin or resistin levels.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 27 women · 26 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
12 postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity did single sessions of continuous or interval cycling, and researchers found no difference in post-exercise fat burning or energy balance between the two exercise types.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 12 women · 2020PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women who lost weight through an exercise trial, regaining weight over a year of follow-up was associated with rising estrogen and insulin resistance markers and falling sex hormone-binding globulin.
Reported a worseningRandomised trial · 214 women · 104 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 4 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
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
Women approaching menopause given ovarian hormone suppression for 24 weeks, with or without endurance exercise training, showed no difference in energy expenditure or body composition changes between groups.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 34 women · 24 weeks · 2020PerimenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In 33 obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes given 14 weeks of diet, exercise alone, or diet plus exercise, only exercise groups reduced visceral fat despite diet alone also reducing weight.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 33 women · 14 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 92 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
Obese postmenopausal women with impaired glucose tolerance did aerobic exercise plus calorie restriction for 6 months and showed greater improvement in insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase activity than calorie restriction alone.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 96 women · 26 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 60 timesPubMed
Mildly obese middle-aged women did 12 weeks of aerobic exercise with food restriction and lost body fat while resting metabolic rate per unit of lean mass increased.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 17 women · 12 weeks · 1994Midlife womenCited 10 timesPubMed
Obese middle-aged women who did combined aerobic and resistance training lost more abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat and gained more lean mass than those doing aerobic training alone.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 30 women · 2003Midlife womenCited 73 timesPubMed
A trial plans to randomize 40 postmenopausal women with late onset asthma to 12 weeks of supervised spinning versus usual care, measuring change in asthma symptom control.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 40 women · 12 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Women aged 40 to 60 with overweight or obesity did 12 weeks of aerobic exercise with or without time-restricted eating, and combining both reduced fat mass more than either alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 104 women · 12 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 2 timesPubMed
Forty-seven postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of jazz dance, which improved cardiorespiratory fitness and short-term sleep quality but did not improve body composition or most strength measures.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 47 women · 16 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
In 60 postmenopausal women, 16 weeks of aerobic or combined aerobic plus strength training improved body composition and metabolic markers, but leg lean mass returned to pre-training levels after 6 months of detraining.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 60 women · 16 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal obese women, aerobic and resistance exercise both reduced weight, body fat and waist circumference and increased maximum oxygen uptake and knee muscle strength, with no change in estrogen.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 30 women · 2018PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
African-American pre- and postmenopausal women did six months of mild-intensity aerobic exercise; postmenopausal women showed improved triglycerides and some vascular markers but not fitness or glucose.
No difference foundControlled trial · 35 women · 26 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 17 timesPubMed
In 60 overweight postmenopausal women, 6 months of weight loss plus aerobic exercise improved fitness and reduced android fat distribution more than weight loss alone, which did not change fitness.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 60 women · 24 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
Eight weeks of moderate exercise training in sedentary postmenopausal women did not change body fat, aerobic fitness, or 24-hour energy expenditure compared to non-exercising controls.
No difference foundControlled trial · 19 women · 8 weeks · 2001PostmenopausalCited 18 timesPubMed
In 43 sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of cycle ergometer training twice weekly increased VO2max by 9.2% and reduced weight, while a passive exercise device did not improve fitness.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 43 women · 12 weeks · 1990PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Obese middle-aged women did a 12-week diet and aerobic program with or without acceleration training; adding acceleration training improved grip strength, balance and flexibility beyond diet and aerobic exercise alone.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 28 women · 12 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 10 timesPubMed
In 41 inactive women aged 35 to 45, eight weeks of Zumba Fitness three times weekly improved respiratory function measures and reduced body mass, BMI and fat mass compared to controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 41 women · 8 weeks · 2022Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
Overweight middle-aged women did 16 weeks of either strength or aerobic training; strength training decreased waist circumference more and raised resting metabolic rate, while weight loss and fitness gains were similar between groups.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 29 women · 16 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 8 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 6 months of weight loss with or without aerobic exercise; both lost similar weight, but only the exercise group improved fitness and avoided a drop in daily activity.
No difference foundControlled trial · 79 women · 26 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
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.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 44 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In 15 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors, a 12-week supervised aerobic program raised fitness and lowered weight slightly but did not change fasting insulin or insulin resistance overall.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 15 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity did 12 weeks of interval Nordic walking or strength training, both reduced waist circumference, raised HDL, and lowered blood glucose versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
This study design paper describes a planned year long trial comparing high versus moderate volume aerobic exercise in inactive postmenopausal women, with results not yet reported.
Direction not statedOther · 400 women · 52 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 29 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did a 4 week Scottish dancing program twice weekly; it reduced waist circumference and lowered heart rate during a step test but did not change body weight or fat.
Mixed resultsBefore-and-after study · 24 women · 4 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 2 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
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
Six active postmenopausal women completed a 5-day wild trek and showed increased fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, peak VO2, and decreased fat mass afterward.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 6 women · 1 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalPubMed
A 12 week trial design compared dumbbell resistance exercise and aerobic exercise for physical activity and quality of life in 102 Malaysian breast cancer survivors, stratified by menopausal status, with no results yet reported.
Direction not statedOther · 102 women · 12 weeks · 2016Midlife womenCited 6 timesPubMed
A review reported that calcium supplementation plus aerobic training increased femoral neck cortical bone density in postmenopausal women, while exercise also increased trabecular bone in the spine.
Mixed resultsOther · 1998Midlife womenCited 25 timesPubMed
A review reported that aerobic and resistance exercise in menopausal women was linked to improved cardiovascular fitness, increased bone mineral content, greater muscle strength and reduced body fat.
Reported an improvementOther · 1990Midlife womenCited 21 timesPubMed
A review reported that postmenopausal women on a very low calorie diet plus exercise program lost visceral and thigh fat proportionally, with exercise alone also improving metabolic markers independent of weight loss.
Reported an improvementOther · 1997PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
A review of 11 studies found aerobic exercise gave a mild protective effect on bone density and reduced fat mass in postmenopausal women with obesity, especially combined with resistance training or caloric restriction.
Reported an improvementOther · 2024PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A trial protocol will compare 12 weeks of urban dance versus functional fitness against a control group for physical and psychological effects in postmenopausal women aged 40 to 59.
Direction not statedOther · 12 weeks · 2025Early postmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed