A meta-analysis of 129 trials in postmenopausal women found aerobic, resistance and combined training increased cardiorespiratory fitness and lower-body strength, while only resistance training increased upper-body strength.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 7,141 participants pooled · 2023PostmenopausalCited 23 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 meta-analysis of seven trials in postmenopausal women found combined aerobic exercise and hormone therapy lowered systolic blood pressure more than aerobic exercise alone, but exercise alone improved fitness more.
Mixed resultsMeta-analysis · 386 participants pooled · 2023PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
464 sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women with elevated blood pressure exercised at varying doses for 6 months, with fitness improving more at higher exercise doses but blood pressure unchanged.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 464 women · 26 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 484 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 breast cancer survivors who cycled three times weekly for 15 weeks had greater increases in peak oxygen consumption and overall quality of life than a non-exercising control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 15 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 519 timesPubMed
In 120 postmenopausal women and men aged 50-65, two years of higher or lower intensity endurance exercise improved treadmill fitness and modestly raised HDL cholesterol in home-based groups.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 269 women · 104 weeks · 1995Midlife womenCited 306 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
A review of 13 studies in postmenopausal women found combined aerobic and resistance exercise, and aerobic exercise alone, improved cardiorespiratory fitness and arterial stiffness, particularly pulse wave velocity.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 700 participants pooled · 2024PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women aged 45 to 75 trained aerobically for 6 months at varying doses; greater exercise volume was associated with lower odds of showing no fitness improvement.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 310 women · 26 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 133 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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 95 women · 20 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 128 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors cycling three times weekly for 15 weeks showed improved heart rate recovery and a non-significant drop in C-reactive protein versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 15 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 140 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
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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 115 women · 52 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 106 timesPubMed
Women with breast cancer on chemotherapy did 6 months of aerobic or resistance exercise; aerobic exercise better preserved bone density and both improved fitness and strength versus usual care.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 66 women · 26 weeks · 2007Midlife womenCited 117 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 at increased cardiovascular risk were assigned to different doses of aerobic exercise training for six months to study effects on fitness and heart disease risk factors.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 450 women · 26 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 83 timesPubMed
In 173 sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women, a year of moderate-intensity exercise or stretching was associated with improved self-reported sleep quality, with effects depending on exercise timing and amount.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 101 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
Postmenopausal women with low bone mass did weight-bearing exercise, aerobic dancing and flexibility work three times weekly for 12 months, and spinal bone density stabilized versus decline in controls, with improved fitness and wellbeing.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 124 women · 52 weeks · 1996PostmenopausalCited 104 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
Caucasian and African American postmenopausal women did 6 months of aerobic exercise training at varying doses, with Caucasian women showing greater fitness gains than African American women.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 386 women · 26 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
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
In postmenopausal women, 2 weeks of low-volume high-intensity interval cycling raised peak oxygen uptake while a longer moderate-intensity continuous program did not reach significance for that measure.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 18 women · 2 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 58 timesPubMed
In 107 sedentary women aged 50 to 60, 13 weeks of brisk walking with or without poles similarly improved peak oxygen uptake, with no major differences between the two methods.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 107 women · 13 weeks · 2007Midlife womenCited 47 timesPubMed
In a 10-week RCT, postmenopausal women with low bone mass doing step aerobics three times weekly showed reduced bone resorption marker change and improved muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance versus controls, with no BMD change.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 48 women · 10 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 41 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a moderate exercise program with or without estrogen for 6 months, and exercise alone reduced cholesterol and LDL and increased fitness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 101 women · 26 weeks · 1994PostmenopausalCited 60 timesPubMed
Fifteen healthy middle-aged women completed incremental tests of nordic walking, walking and jogging, and the authors reported differences in oxygen uptake, heart rate and lactate between the three forms.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 15 women · 2006Midlife womenCited 65 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women on hormone therapy did 6 weeks of submaximal aerobic exercise three times weekly and showed improved strength, endurance, flexibility, balance and quality of life versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 81 women · 6 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 48 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.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 30 women · 10 weeks · 2016Midlife womenCited 44 timesPubMed
Inactive premenopausal women did football or running training twice weekly for 16 weeks, and both groups showed improved heart chamber size and systolic and diastolic heart function.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 37 women · 16 weeks · 2010OtherCited 48 timesPubMed
In 115 postmenopausal, overweight or obese women, 12 months of aerobic exercise improved fitness by 13.8% but did not change natural killer cell or T-lymphocyte immune function compared to stretching controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 115 women · 52 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 40 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 60 to 72 did 11 months of endurance exercise, hormone therapy, both, or neither, and exercise lowered total and LDL cholesterol while HRT raised HDL cholesterol.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 71 women · 44 weeks · 1996PostmenopausalCited 57 timesPubMed
Patients with knee osteoarthritis, including postmenopausal women, did 6 weeks of isokinetic or aerobic exercise and reported less pain and more muscle strength, with no significant drop in inflammatory markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 42 women · 6 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 39 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
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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 8 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
Early breast cancer patients did a 12 month step aerobics and impact exercise program; premenopausal women kept hip bone density benefits for 3 years but not 5, with no bone effect seen in postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 444 women · 260 weeks · 2021Midlife womenCited 16 timesPubMed
Eighty six breast cancer survivors did 12 months of aerobic impact exercise training, and postmenopausal trainees showed small improvements in bone structural strength, agility and grip strength.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 86 women · 52 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 28 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
Twenty two postmenopausal women did two months of walking and cycling, and the exercise group showed increased pentraxin 3, HDL cholesterol, peak oxygen uptake and arterial compliance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 22 women · 8 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 35 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.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 325 women · 26 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 19 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 breast cancer patients on aromatase inhibitors did supervised or unsupervised exercise training for up to 48 weeks; supervised training achieved higher fitness gains on a cycle ergometer.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 48 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women who did 6 months of high-intensity treadmill training, with or without infrared LED, showed improved maximal exercise tolerance compared to a sedentary group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 26 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
Over 12 weeks, 50 midlife women doing aerobic exercise improved peak oxygen uptake by 18%, while a strength training group showed no fitness change; lipid changes were similar between groups.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 12 weeks · 1991Midlife womenCited 41 timesPubMed
Untrained women aged 40 to 65 did 21 weeks of endurance, strength, or combined training; endurance training increased heart rate complexity during exercise but combined or strength training did not.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 90 women · 21 weeks · 2013Midlife womenCited 21 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.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 240 women · 16 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 13 timesPubMed
Older women did 24 weeks of aerobic training versus a yoga control group, and aerobic fitness rose 14% but blood volume and vascular reflex control did not change.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 17 women · 24 weeks · 1998PostmenopausalCited 41 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.
Reported an improvementRandomised 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
In sedentary postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of exercise training improved cardiorespiratory capacity and vascular function, with slightly greater improvement when combined with a Mediterranean diet.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 15 women · 8 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
Untrained postmenopausal women played recreational team handball 2 to 3 times weekly for 16 weeks and showed greater improvements in aerobic fitness and cholesterol levels than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 67 women · 16 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 16 timesPubMed
50 postmenopausal women with knee osteoarthritis who added six weeks of aerobic exercise to physiotherapy reported better pain scores, physical performance, and six-minute walk distance than physiotherapy alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 6 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women randomized to 12 months of moderate to vigorous exercise improved fitness and had slightly lower estradiol, but researchers found no change in estrogen metabolite pathways linked to breast cancer risk.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 306 women · 52 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 11 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
In 10 sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of cycling endurance training increased peak oxygen consumption by 16% and lowered resting heart rate and blood pressure during exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 10 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 6 months of aerobic exercise training, and older women over 60 showed a smaller improvement in peak oxygen uptake than women under 55 at the same exercise doses.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 251 women · 26 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
Previously sedentary overweight postmenopausal women did treadmill or cycling exercise at a set heart rate target, and small heart rate drift did not meaningfully reduce exercise intensity during sessions.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 326 women · 2009PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
Ten sedentary postmenopausal women completed 12 weeks of cycling endurance training and researchers found increased fat mobilization and oxidation capacity alongside higher aerobic fitness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 10 women · 12 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Healthy postmenopausal women walked for 12 weeks with or without hormone therapy, and both groups showed improved peak oxygen uptake regardless of hormone use.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 23 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed
173 sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women exercised 45 minutes 5 days a week for 12 months; prolactin levels overall did not change, but those with the largest fitness gains had reduced prolactin.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Inactive postmenopausal women assigned to 150 or 300 minutes weekly of aerobic exercise for a year increased physical activity and reduced sedentary time, with greater gains at the higher dose.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 400 women · 52 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
Untrained women aged 45 to 55 did 3 months of endurance or strength training, improving fitness or strength, but knee cartilage thickness and volume on MRI did not change.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 38 women · 12 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
Sedentary, overweight, hypertensive postmenopausal women did 6 months of aerobic exercise and higher exercise doses were linked to significant reductions in a heart failure risk marker, the VE/VCO2 slope.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 401 women · 26 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 9 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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 44 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
In 85 middle-aged women, 12 weeks of Zumba training improved mobility, gait speed and lower body endurance, with caffeine supplementation further boosting these gains except for dynamic balance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 85 women · 12 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 8 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 6 months of cycle ergometer aerobic training with or without estrogen therapy, and aerobic training prevented the daytime blood pressure rise seen with estrogen alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 47 women · 26 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 12 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
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
Sedentary middle-aged women who jogged for 4 months improved endurance capacity but showed only small, mostly nonsignificant changes in serum lipid levels compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 33 women · 16 weeks · 1992Midlife womenCited 14 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
Overweight postmenopausal women who lost weight with or without aerobic exercise over 6 months and were followed for a year showed similar bone density loss in both groups.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 52 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with vitamin D deficiency did 12 weeks of moderate aerobic training; gene expression and vitamin D rose but pulmonary function and sex hormone levels did not significantly change.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 29 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Pre and postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of aerobic exercise or strength and flexibility training, and researchers found only partial support that aerobic exercise reduced stress reactivity.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 12 weeks · 1991Midlife womenCited 11 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease who did a home-based exercise program three times weekly for 8 weeks improved walking test performance and heart rate variability compared with controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 32 women · 8 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 7 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
Middle-aged and young women did 10 weeks of aerobic exercise three times weekly, both groups improved fitness and insulin sensitivity, with greater adiponectin and RBP4 changes in older women.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 38 women · 10 weeks · 2008Midlife womenCited 78 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.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 17 women · 12 weeks · 1994Midlife womenCited 10 timesPubMed
Abdominally obese postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of endurance or endurance-strength training, with the combined group showing increased whole-body bone density and both groups improving physical capacity.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 101 women · 12 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Female recreational runners, including postmenopausal women, completed two 1-hour races; carbohydrate mouth rinsing did not change running performance or hormone levels compared with placebo.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 15 women · 2018Midlife womenCited 5 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
Breast cancer survivors, including postmenopausal women, did 12 weeks of combined treadmill and stretching exercise, which improved resting blood pressure and oxygen saturation compared to controls.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 48 women · 12 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 4 timesPubMed
In 43 osteopenic postmenopausal women, a 24-week walking plus step exercise program increased femoral neck bone density, strength and fitness versus a non-exercising control group.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 43 women · 24 weeks · 2000PostmenopausalCited 71 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did low-impact dance three times weekly for 16 weeks, and researchers reported improvements in a bone formation marker and parts of cognitive and functional fitness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
Eleven active postmenopausal women on oral or transdermal estrogen did 45-minute exercise tests; estradiol rose during exercise only with transdermal estrogen, growth hormone, cortisol and insulin changed in both.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 11 women · 2002PostmenopausalCited 6 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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 47 women · 16 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women doing 10 weeks of indoor rowing training three times weekly showed increased peak oxygen uptake, stroke volume, and cardiac output compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 23 women · 10 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
In healthy postmenopausal women, 6 months of cycle ergometer aerobic training increased oxygen uptake at peak exercise, but the gain was smaller in women also taking oral estrogen therapy.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 42 women · 26 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Seventy postmenopausal women did jazz dance or concurrent training for up to 12 months; both improved cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and sleep quality, with concurrent training showing greater fitness gains.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 70 women · 52 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 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
Symptomatic postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of supervised moderate exercise training, which improved fitness and reduced sweating, skin blood flow changes and self-reported severity during hot flushes versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 21 women · 16 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 18 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
In a pilot RCT of 31 postmenopausal women with hypertension, supervised aerobic exercise improved VO2 max and heart rate variability over 12 weeks, with a greater reduction in blood pressure variability than home based walking.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
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
Perimenopausal women aged 45 to 55 did 12 weeks of strength or endurance training; strength training improved muscle strength and quality, while endurance training raised aerobic fitness by 28%.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 42 women · 12 weeks · 2009PerimenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
In 17 active postmenopausal women, a new slower incremental cycling test delayed the time to reach maximal fat burning compared with a standard test but did not change the peak fat oxidation rate.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 17 women · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
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.
Direction not statedControlled 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.
No difference foundControlled 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.
Reported an improvementControlled 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
Middle-aged female recreational runners following high-intensity interval or moderate-intensity continuous training both improved half-marathon finishing times by 2 to 3 percent.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 20 women · 2020Midlife womenCited 5 timesPubMed
In aged women, 8 weeks of intense aerobic cycle training did not increase skeletal muscle capillarization but increased muscle VEGF protein levels.
Direction not statedBefore-and-after study · 12 women · 8 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 48 weeks of endurance exercise training, which improved skin blood flow responses and fitness, reaching levels similar to untrained young women by 24 to 36 weeks.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 20 women · 48 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
In midlife women, a 6 month program using activity sensors and social connectivity increased aerobic exercise from 63 to 132 minutes per week, maintained at 6 months.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 26 weeks · 2016Midlife womenCited 30 timesPubMed
Ninety middle-aged Korean women with obesity did three months of aerobic exercise training and researchers found improved body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol and adiponectin levels.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 90 women · 12 weeks · 2013Midlife womenCited 9 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
Ten sedentary postmenopausal women completed 12 weeks of cycle endurance training, which increased fitness and altered glucose flux during exercise similarly to effects seen in younger women.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 10 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
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
In 15 postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of endurance training combined with prior blood withdrawal improved left ventricular systolic and diastolic heart function during exercise testing.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 15 women · 8 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 3 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.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 24 women · 4 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A review of exercise training in hypertensive postmenopausal women reported that aerobic and resistance exercise were linked to improved blood pressure, lipid profiles and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Reported an improvementOther · 2018PostmenopausalCited 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.
Reported an improvementBefore-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 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
This review reported that perimenopausal and postmenopausal women benefit from endurance and strength exercise, improving fitness, bone health, and quality of life.
Reported an improvementOther · 2000Midlife womenCited 10 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