A Cochrane review of five trials in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women found insufficient evidence that exercise reduces hot flushes or night sweats compared with no treatment, yoga, or hormone therapy.
No difference foundMeta-analysis · 733 participants pooled · 2014Midlife womenCited 59 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 21 trials in 2884 menopausal women found structured exercise slightly improved hot flush severity but not frequency, with very low certainty evidence.
Mixed resultsMeta-analysis · 2,884 participants pooled · 2022Midlife womenCited 29 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of nine randomized trials found exercise, especially yoga, improved physical and psychological quality of life in women with menopausal symptoms, but not general or menopause-specific scores.
Direction not statedMeta-analysis · 2020Midlife womenCited 62 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of nine trials with 1579 women with hot flushes found physical activity did not significantly improve sleep quality or insomnia but produced minor improvement in sleep problems.
Direction not statedMeta-analysis · 1,579 participants pooled · 2025Midlife womenCited 4 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of six RCTs found insufficient evidence that exercise reduces hot flushes and night sweats in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, or that it outperforms hormone therapy or yoga.
No difference foundMeta-analysis · 2011Midlife womenCited 18 timesPubMed
A review of 23 studies found exercise-based and mind-body interventions improved quality of life, menopausal symptoms and depression in Asian perimenopausal women, but not hot flashes.
No difference foundMeta-analysis · 2020PerimenopausalCited 14 timesPubMed
An overview of 17 reviews covering 80 studies found yoga improved physical, urogenital, and total menopause symptoms, while aerobic exercise findings were inconclusive.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 8,983 participants pooled · 2024Midlife womenCited 21 timesPubMed
In breast cancer patients with treatment induced menopause, physical exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy reduced endocrine and urinary symptoms and improved physical functioning over 6 months compared with a waiting list.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 422 women · 26 weeks · 2012Midlife womenCited 163 timesPubMed
A systematic review of nonhormonal options for menopausal hot flashes found exercise among therapies with short-term evidence of safety and effectiveness.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2004Midlife womenCited 32 timesPubMed
A Cochrane review found only one small trial comparing exercise with hormone therapy for hot flushes, and exercise was less effective than hormone therapy in that trial.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2007Midlife womenCited 23 timesPubMed
Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women given exercise support for six months did not report significantly fewer hot flushes or night sweats than controls.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 261 women · 26 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 55 timesPubMed
Overweight women with urinary incontinence did a 6-month behavioral weight loss program versus health education, with weight loss linked to improved hot flush bother, though physical activity change itself was not related.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 338 women · 26 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 54 timesPubMed
In 120 perimenopausal women, 8 weeks of yoga reduced vasomotor symptoms, stress and neuroticism more than a supervised physical exercise control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 120 women · 8 weeks · 2008PerimenopausalCited 67 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.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Among 113 midlife women in a physical activity trial, increased activity was linked to fewer general menopause symptoms but not to vasomotor or sexual symptoms specifically.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 113 women · 2009Midlife womenCited 57 timesPubMed
In 120 perimenopausal women, 8 weeks of yoga reduced hot flushes, night sweats and sleep disturbance and improved memory and attention test scores more than supervised physical exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 120 women · 8 weeks · 2008PerimenopausalCited 54 timesPubMed
Women 45 to 60 with breast cancer history who got a 12-week lifestyle program including physical activity reported greater reductions in menopausal symptoms and improved quality of life than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 55 women · 12 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 34 timesPubMed
A systematic review of randomized trials found that exercise did not reduce the frequency or severity of hot flushes or night sweats in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
No difference foundSystematic review · 2018Midlife womenCited 1 timesPubMed
Peri and postmenopausal women with hot flushes using DVD-based or social-support exercise programs for a year showed a small quality-of-life gain, with social support likely cost-effective.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 261 women · 52 weeks · 2017Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
In a 4 year follow-up of a 6 month exercise trial, women originally assigned to exercise were more likely to have improved hot flush scores than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 95 women · 24 weeks · 2016Midlife womenCited 4 timesPubMed
Women aged 40 to 65 followed a 12 week web-based lifestyle program including exercise goal-setting, and reported reduced anxiety, depression, hot flushes and sexual dysfunction.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 225 women · 12 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 27 timesPubMed
In a survey of women aged 46 to 55, regularly active women reported better health related quality of life, but exercise status was not linked to vasomotor symptom scores.
No difference foundCross-sectional study · 1,206 women · 2007Midlife womenCited 50 timesPubMed
Among postmenopausal women who discontinued hormone therapy, 68% used exercise for hot flush relief, and behavioral approaches like exercise were rated more helpful than herbal remedies.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 10,607 women · 2015PostmenopausalCited 21 timesPubMed
A survey of women aged 46 to 55 found most preferred one-to-one exercise support and walking, and exercise participation was not linked to frequency of hot flushes or night sweats.
No difference foundCross-sectional study · 1,693 women · 2011Midlife womenCited 30 timesPubMed
Midlife women wore activity and hot flash monitors over 48 hour periods, and researchers found acute activity increases were linked to more self-reported but not physiologically confirmed hot flashes.
Mixed resultsCross-sectional study · 51 women · 2014Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
A 2023 position statement reviewing evidence concluded exercise and yoga are not recommended as effective options for reducing menopausal hot flushes, based on limited evidence.
No difference foundOther · 2023Midlife womenCited 161 timesPubMed
In interviews after a 6 month physical activity trial, menopausal women reported improved hot flushes, night sweats, sleep and psychological wellbeing from being physically active.
Reported an improvementOther · 17 women · 26 weeks · 2020Midlife womenCited 22 timesPubMed
A review of trials and studies found that most randomized trials of aerobic and resistance exercise training reported decreased subjectively experienced hot flashes in menopausal women.
Reported an improvementOther · 2023Midlife womenCited 18 timesPubMed
A review of alternative menopause therapies noted that observational studies found exercise was associated with fewer hot flushes, alongside other non-hormonal options.
Reported an improvementOther · 2002Midlife womenCited 27 timesPubMed
Review of randomised trials in breast cancer survivors found exercise studies in healthy menopausal women did not show reduced hot flushes, while yoga may reduce symptom frequency or burden.
Mixed resultsOther · 2021Midlife womenCited 11 timesPubMed
This review examined lifestyle changes including exercise for hot flashes in menopausal women and called for more randomized trials to confirm benefits.
Direction not statedOther · 2012Midlife womenCited 13 timesPubMed
A narrative review on menopause reported mixed evidence for physical activity and exercise affecting hot flushes, with moderate activity and strength training possibly more favourable than vigorous exercise.
Mixed resultsOther · 2026Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
A narrative review of psychological and mind-body approaches, including yoga, found empirical support for improving quality of life and symptoms like hot flushes and sleep during menopause.
Reported an improvementOther · 2024Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed