A meta-analysis of 38 studies found high-intensity interval training reduced weight and fat mass in women, but effects on weight and fat mass were only significant before menopause, not after.
Mixed resultsMeta-analysis · 959 participants pooled · 2020Midlife womenCited 29 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 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
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 or obese postmenopausal women did combined HIIT and resistance training three times weekly for 12 weeks, and researchers found reduced abdominal fat and increased muscle mass and fitness versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 17 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 39 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of HIIT or combined training three times weekly, and HIIT reduced visceral fat more and increased interleukin-6 compared to combined training.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 33 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
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
Overweight postmenopausal women did 8 weeks of sprint interval training three times weekly, and gained lean mass, lost fat mass, and increased aerobic fitness compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 40 women · 8 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 18 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
In obese postmenopausal women over 12 weeks, both HIIT and combined training reduced body fat and increased leg lean mass, but only combined training increased muscle strength and fast walking speed.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 15 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
Thirty postmenopausal women did an 8 week HIIT program combined with either intermittent fasting or a low calorie diet, and both groups improved flexibility and VO2 max.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 30 women · 8 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
18 sedentary postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of either short high-intensity exercise or traditional walking, and body fat and anthropometric measures did not differ significantly between groups.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 18 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 10 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
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
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
An 8-week home-based interval training program, with or without a Mediterranean diet, reduced weight, BMI and waist circumference in inactive postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 8 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
In 71 postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of HIIT Nordic walking increased lean mass and lower limb strength, while strength training reduced fat mass and improved upper limb strength and walking speed.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 71 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
In 47 obese middle-aged women, 8 weeks of HIIT improved cardiorespiratory endurance but increased waist circumference, while adding probiotics preserved the endurance benefit and reduced hip circumference.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 47 women · 8 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 1 timesPubMed
Seventy obese postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of high intensity interval training plus mindfulness breathing, which reported reduced weight, insulin resistance, cholesterol and tumor marker levels compared with controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 70 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
Perimenopausal and postmenopausal obese women completed six weeks of high-intensity interval training, and all groups reduced body measurements and increased maximal oxygen consumption afterward.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 56 women · 6 weeks · 2020Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
Fifteen postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome did 12 weeks of treadmill HIIT and showed improved fitness, reduced inflammatory markers, and increased anti-inflammatory IL-10.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 15 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
An 18-week circuit hydraulic weight interval training program in inactive pre- and postmenopausal women reduced body fat and increased muscle mass, with postmenopausal women needing longer training to see muscle gains.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 100 women · 18 weeks · 2025Midlife womenPubMed
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
22 menopausal women completed a 12-week workplace exercise programme of body conditioning, Zumba Gold, Pilates and HIIT, with authors reporting favourable changes in body fat, fitness, menopause symptoms and mental health.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 22 women · 12 weeks · 2026Midlife womenPubMed