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.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2,646 participants pooled · 2004Early postmenopausalCited 219 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 8 trials found walking programs of at least 4 weeks reduced BMI, body weight and body fat percentage in previously inactive perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 4 weeks · 2016Midlife womenCited 23 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
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
Postmenopausal Japanese women who walked 45 minutes 3 times weekly for a year had reduced fat mass, increased HDL cholesterol, and less bone loss at the hip.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 136 women · 52 weeks · 2006Early postmenopausalCited 87 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal Japanese women over 24 weeks, walking combined with isoflavone intake increased HDL cholesterol and decreased body fat, with bone density effects depending on equol-producer status.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 128 women · 24 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 82 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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 38 women · 12 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 95 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women walked five days a week for 24 weeks at varying low doses; all groups improved aerobic fitness and body fat percentage versus controls, with no BMI change.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 116 women · 24 weeks · 2002PostmenopausalCited 77 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women walked 3 or 5 days a week for 24 weeks, and authors reported both increased aerobic fitness and decreased body fat, with no change in serum lipids.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 56 women · 24 weeks · 1996PostmenopausalCited 72 timesPubMed
Previously low active middle aged women who did a four month walking or yoga program did not improve overall self-esteem but reported gains in esteem related to physical condition and body attractiveness.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 164 women · 16 weeks · 2007Midlife womenCited 42 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
In women aged 50 to 70 with raised BMI, a volunteer delivered diet and walking programme produced greater weight loss at 12 months than usual care but no significant difference in step counts.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 560 women · 52 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 21 timesPubMed
In 90 midlife women aged 40 to 65 who completed a 24-week home-based walking program, adherence during a later maintenance phase averaged 64% of expected walks.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 90 women · 48 weeks · 2005Midlife womenCited 44 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did a 20 week diet with or without treadmill walking; those with larger drops in daily activity during weight loss regained more weight afterward.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 34 women · 20 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 48 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
Postmenopausal women walked 5 days a week for 15 weeks in one or two daily sessions; both schedules equally improved aerobic fitness and reduced body weight and fat percentage.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 130 women · 15 weeks · 2002PostmenopausalCited 41 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women walked and strength trained with diet and GH or IGF-I injections for 12 weeks; all groups lost fat and gained muscle strength without losing lean mass.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 28 women · 12 weeks · 1998PostmenopausalCited 60 timesPubMed
Previously sedentary postmenopausal women aged 60 to 70 walked briskly for 12 months, and researchers found reduced heel bone loss and improved fitness compared with non-walkers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 78 women · 52 weeks · 1997PostmenopausalCited 45 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with obesity aged 68 to 72, 12 weeks of moderate intensity walking reduced weight, body fat and inflammatory markers CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 12 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 29 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women used a mobile phone walking program for 12 weeks and reported faster walking times, small weight loss, and improved exercise goal setting and planning.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 71 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 29 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
Postmenopausal women with mild hyperlipidemia who walked about 54 minutes most days for six months had reduced cholesterol, triglycerides, body fat and increased fitness versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 25 women · 26 weeks · 1995PostmenopausalCited 41 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
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.
No difference foundRandomised 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
Postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome did a 16 week home based treadmill walking program and showed reduced epicardial and abdominal fat compared with before training.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 60 women · 16 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 18 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
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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 115 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
A 10-week intermittent walking programme in 36 obese postmenopausal women reduced thyroid stimulating hormone, triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure, and improved fitness and HDL cholesterol.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 36 women · 10 weeks · 2026Early postmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 60 did treadmill training twice weekly for six months, with or without phototherapy, and showed improved cholesterol and reduced skinfold thickness.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 30 women · 26 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 10 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
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
Postmenopausal women did Nordic walking or traditional walking three times weekly; Nordic walking raised circulating VEGF more, and both groups reduced weight, BMI and hip circumference.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 2017PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did a 12 week mobile-based walking program, and researchers found no significant changes in adiponectin or leptin despite improved anthropometric measures.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 71 women · 12 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a 12-week diet plus resistance and walking program; those also given growth hormone lost more central fat than those on placebo or IGF-I.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 27 women · 12 weeks · 2001PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women added walking to a weight loss program and showed a 2% increase in femoral neck bone density versus weight loss alone, linked to reduced inflammatory markers.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 86 women · 2009PostmenopausalCited 59 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
Postmenopausal women doing 8 weeks of Nordic walking, with or without a resistance shock absorber, showed reduced body weight, BMI, and waist circumference, with no change in heart or lung test results.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 32 women · 8 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 3 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
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
A 10-week intermittent walking programme in 36 sedentary postmenopausal women with obesity reported improved liver enzymes, lower CRP, reduced body fat and waist size, and higher aerobic capacity.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 36 women · 10 weeks · 2026Early postmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Women aged 63 to 79 with osteopenia or osteoporosis did 12 weeks of Nordic walking three times weekly and showed increased skeletal muscle mass, knee strength, and functional performance versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 45 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 33 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.
Reported an improvementControlled 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
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.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 29 women · 15 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 25 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
Postmenopausal women did brisk walking with or without added yoga for three months, and adding yoga produced greater improvements in BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 139 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Pre- and postmenopausal obese women did a 16-week walking program, with both groups showing similar reductions in fat mass, waist size and HDL cholesterol, and improved fitness.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 30 women · 16 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
In 36 postmenopausal women with obesity, 10 weeks of moderate-intensity interval walking training modestly reduced waist size and body fat, and improved kidney and inflammation markers versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 36 women · 10 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
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
In 40 postmenopausal women, 24 weeks of walking and strength training combined with dieting increased muscle strength, while bone density and VO2max did not change.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 40 women · 24 weeks · 1997PostmenopausalCited 14 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.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 51 women · 12 weeks · 2011Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
In middle-aged Korean women, a walking-focused health promotion program improved physical activity level and lifestyle and reduced waist circumference and perceived stress compared to controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 44 women · 2022Midlife womenCited 4 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
Forty obese, sedentary postmenopausal women walked three days a week with calorie restriction, and greater gains in aerobic fitness were linked to greater reductions in visceral fat.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 40 women · 2001PostmenopausalCited 26 timesPubMed
Breast cancer survivors within 2 years of menopause did a 16 to 24 week weighted walking programme, which maintained weight and bone markers without significant change overall.
No difference foundBefore-and-after study · 26 women · 24 weeks · 2008Early postmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed
In 39 sedentary overweight postmenopausal women, 4 months of walking training reduced fat mass and leptin levels and increased maximal oxygen consumption among adherent participants.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 39 women · 16 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
36 obese postmenopausal women did a 6 month diet plus low-intensity walking program, and those with greater drops in fat tissue enzyme activity lost more abdominal fat and regained less weight afterward.
Mixed resultsBefore-and-after study · 36 women · 26 weeks · 2000PostmenopausalCited 14 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
Obese postmenopausal women who walked briskly 3 times weekly for 16 weeks improved fitness and fat loss most when adherence was high, regardless of exercise intensity.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 159 women · 16 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did a 10 week mixed Nordic walking and strength training program and showed improved fitness, strength, waist to hip ratio and cholesterol levels.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 10 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 8 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.
No difference foundBefore-and-after study · 9 women · 12 weeks · 2008PerimenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed