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 review of 28 randomised trials in postmenopausal women aged 50 to 65 found walking combined with resistance training could preserve weight and bone density and increase muscle strength.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2,646 participants pooled · 2004Early postmenopausalCited 219 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 29 RCTs in 2071 women with breast cancer found combined aerobic and resistance training improved fitness, fatigue and quality of life, with smaller benefits in postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2,071 participants pooled · 2026Midlife womenCited 2 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 23 trials in 1001 postmenopausal women found concurrent aerobic and resistance training modestly improved body composition and metabolic markers, with no significant change in inflammation markers.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,001 participants pooled · 2026PostmenopausalCited 2 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
Breast cancer surgery patients did an 8-month exercise program delivered face to face or by phone, reporting better quality of life, fitness and fatigue than usual care, with no difference in other side effects.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 194 women · 32 weeks · 2013Midlife womenCited 146 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
24 postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of combined resistance and endurance training, which reduced arterial stiffness, blood pressure and heart rate, and increased leg and handgrip strength versus controls.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 24 women · 12 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 107 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors did 16 weeks of supervised exercise with two different dosing schedules and showed modest improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness compared to a stretching control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 174 women · 16 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 53 timesPubMed
Women averaging 69 years did an 18 month multipurpose exercise program and researchers reported increased lean mass and strength and reduced body fat compared to an active control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 246 women · 78 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 56 timesPubMed
In 20 postmenopausal women with hypertension, 12 weeks of combined resistance and aerobic exercise improved blood pressure, arterial stiffness, fitness and body composition versus no exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 12 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 78 timesPubMed
61 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors with joint pain did a year of aerobic and strength exercise, and most maintained adherence to the program.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 61 women · 52 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 56 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 20 randomized trials in postmenopausal women found exercise based rehabilitation reduced vasomotor symptoms but showed no significant pooled effect on BMI, blood pressure, or physical performance.
No difference foundMeta-analysis · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Over 14 weeks, postmenopausal women adding whole-body electromyostimulation to their usual endurance and strength training maintained resting metabolic rate and gained more strength than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 14 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 71 timesPubMed
Sedentary perimenopausal women did 18 months of calisthenics or endurance training; endurance training maintained femoral neck bone density versus controls, calisthenics showed no significant effect.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 105 women · 78 weeks · 1998PerimenopausalCited 61 timesPubMed
In sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of combined endurance and resistance training improved body composition, performance and insulin sensitivity, with no added benefit from DHEA supplementation.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 49 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
Obese, sedentary postmenopausal women underwent a 6-month lifestyle change program with increased physical activity and reported reduced weight, fat mass, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 44 women · 26 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 48 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with fibromyalgia did 21 weeks of combined strength and endurance training, which improved leg strength, workload, walking and stair climbing, and fatigue.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 26 women · 21 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 44 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women at high risk of type 2 diabetes, 12 weeks of high-intensity bodyweight training and combined aerobic-resistance training both improved muscle mass, walk test performance and insulin resistance, but only combined training increased strength.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 women · 12 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 37 timesPubMed
In a 16-week RCT, postmenopausal women doing circuit-style functional training with elastic bands and walking reduced body fat and improved strength, coordination, agility and cholesterol levels versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 16 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
Female cancer survivors averaging age 52 did a year of supervised aerobic plus resistance training or home-based activity, with the fitness center group showing greater treadmill time and heart rate recovery gains.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 154 women · 52 weeks · 2017Midlife womenCited 19 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
Postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of water-based combined aerobic and resistance training, with both exercise orders increasing upper and lower body strength and muscle thickness.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 21 women · 12 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training at different weekly frequencies, and researchers reported reduced resting blood pressure and improved vascular properties.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 79 women · 16 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 15 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.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 24 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
Over 10 weeks, sedentary postmenopausal women doing aerobic and strength training with or without whole-body electrostimulation improved strength, agility and speed, with added cardiovascular benefit from electrostimulation.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 34 women · 10 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
Inactive postmenopausal women did recreational team handball training for 36 weeks and researchers reported improved fitness, knee strength, lumbar spine bone density, and lipid markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 45 women · 36 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 60+ did functional or concurrent training for up to 8 weeks; both improved functional fitness tests without impairing immune function, versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 108 women · 8 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did functional or combined training, and both groups improved walking speed, jumping ability and dressing-task time compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 108 women · 2022PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In older women with metabolic syndrome, 16 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training improved fitness and strength but did not change body composition, blood pressure or lipid and glucose profiles.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 25 women · 16 weeks · 2022Midlife womenCited 8 timesPubMed
In 25 hypertensive women followed 9 years through menopause, soccer-based exercise training reduced blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol, and kept fasting glucose stable compared to non-exercising controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 25 women · 468 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
In 76 postmenopausal women, 16 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training at varying weekly frequencies improved walking economy and aerobic fitness regardless of training frequency.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 76 women · 16 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Previously sedentary postmenopausal women aged 45 to 64 who completed a 20-week exercise plus health promotion program reported improved quality of life, mental well-being, weight, fitness and flexibility versus controls, sustained to 12 months.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 16 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome did a 16-week mixed aerobic and strength program; the exercise group had higher oxygen uptake and some cognitive improvements versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 12 women · 16 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 10 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
Previously sedentary postmenopausal women who completed a supervised 20-week multicomponent exercise program showed improved quality of life, mental well-being, weight, fitness and flexibility, maintained through 12-month follow-up.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of combined aerobic and strength training and showed improved gait speed, stride length, postural balance and aerobic capacity versus a non-training control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 28 women · 16 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
58 postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of periodized or non-periodized combined training; periodized groups gained more strength while all groups improved aerobic fitness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 58 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of indoor or outdoor training three times weekly, and indoor training improved body composition and fitness more while outdoor training improved blood pressure, strength and adherence.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 23 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
In 24 postmenopausal women, an 8-week circuit exercise program combined with preworkout beetroot juice improved walk test distance and aerobic capacity more than exercise alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 8 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did a 6-month weight loss program with higher-protein diet with or without supervised multicomponent exercise; exercise groups preserved strength and physical function better than diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 72 women · 26 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
In 70 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, a 12 week home-based multi-task exercise program improved HDL levels, cognitive function, and physical fitness compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 70 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Early postmenopausal women did 12 months of exercise with or without alendronate; exercise raised muscle power, balance and aerobic capacity but gains faded 15 months after stopping.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 102 women · 65 weeks · 2004Early postmenopausalCited 5 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
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 12-week multicomponent exercise and cognitive program in midlife Hong Kong women, mean age 61.5, improved intrinsic capacity scores, chair stand times, muscle mass and cardiorespiratory fitness versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 176 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Overweight women aged 35 to 50 did 10 weeks of HIIT or HIIT plus resistance training; strength improved with combined training and lipid and insulin markers improved in both groups, but fitness did not improve.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 27 women · 10 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
In 85 inactive postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, a home-based dual-task exercise program improved executive function, physical performance and HDL, and reduced IL-10 and TNF, but did not change diabetes indices overall.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 85 women · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors did 6 months of supervised exercise training, improving exercise capacity more than usual care, but endothelial function did not differ between groups.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 32 women · 26 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Early postmenopausal women with low bone density did a 14 month high-impact, strength and endurance program and had increased lumbar spine bone density, strength and fitness versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 100 women · 60 weeks · 2003Early postmenopausalCited 34 timesPubMed
In 25 physically active postmenopausal women doing 12 weeks of multicomponent training, fasted versus fed exercise did not differ in body composition, blood pressure or fitness changes.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 25 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 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
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
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did supervised aerobic and resistance training three times weekly for 10 weeks and showed improved fitness and artery compliance, but no change in blood pressure or lipids.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 28 women · 10 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 29 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women with subclinical hypothyroidism or obesity did 12 weeks of combined resistance and aerobic training, improving body fat, fitness and blood pressure but not thyroid hormones or lipids.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 40 women · 12 weeks · 2019Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 55 to 65 did supervised combined aerobic and weight-bearing exercise three times weekly for 12 weeks and showed favourable changes in bone turnover markers and improved walk and chair-stand performance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 86 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
In 66 early postmenopausal women, eight weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training, delivered in person or via app, reduced menopausal symptoms, fatigue, and improved sleep versus education alone.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 66 women · 8 weeks · 2026Early postmenopausalPubMed
Over nine months of combined aerobic and resistance training, postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors showed similar strength, fitness, and body fat improvements to healthy postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 42 women · 39 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
In a 3 month combined aerobic and strength training program, obese and lean premenopausal middle-aged women improved similarly across most fitness, strength and balance measures, with high enjoyment in both groups.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 72 women · 12 weeks · 2023OtherCited 4 timesPubMed
In middle-aged women with abdominal obesity, 12 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training reduced waist circumference, cholesterol, triglycerides and carotid artery thickness and improved fitness versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 40 women · 12 weeks · 2021Midlife womenCited 4 timesPubMed
Nine postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did combined strength and aerobic training for 16 weeks and showed improved glucose control, insulin action and muscular strength.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 9 women · 16 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 68 timesPubMed
A six month community exercise program for perimenopausal and menopausal women improved quality of life and physical condition, especially aerobic fitness, strength and balance, versus inactive controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 26 weeks · 2022Midlife womenCited 6 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.
Direction not statedControlled trial · 100 women · 18 weeks · 2025Midlife womenPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did combined strength and aerobic training for 9 months, then stopped for 3 months, then resumed, with glucose control and fitness improving with training and worsening during detraining.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 13 women · 39 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women aged 60 to 74 completed 16 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training, with those having low to moderate baseline stretch-shortening potentiation showing increased daily energy expenditure.
Mixed resultsBefore-and-after study · 64 women · 16 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 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
Overweight postmenopausal women did a year of combined aerobic and resistance training; those who did not lose fat mass still gained similar strength, fitness, and flexibility as those who did.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 31 women · 52 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women did a single bout of water-based or land-based combined exercise, and perceived exertion and lactate were similar but muscle oxygen use patterns differed between environments.
No difference foundBefore-and-after study · 15 women · 2017PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
A 12-week combined aerobic and resistance programme in 101 perimenopausal Chinese teachers lowered triglycerides and fasting glucose and improved muscular strength and endurance.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 101 women · 12 weeks · 2026PerimenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Middle-aged Korean women over 40 did 12 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise and showed significant improvements in body composition, blood pressure, fitness and metabolic measures overall.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 185 women · 12 weeks · 2014Midlife womenPubMed
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