A meta-analysis of 13 RCTs with 1306 women found yoga reduced total menopausal symptoms, including vasomotor and psychological symptoms, compared to no treatment, similar to other exercise.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,306 participants pooled · 2018Midlife womenCited 48 timesPubMed
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
An umbrella review and meta-analysis of yoga trials in peri- and postmenopausal women found yoga reduced hot flushes and psychological symptoms compared with controls, with quality of life rarely reported.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 927 participants pooled · 2017Midlife womenCited 21 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 24 RCTs in menopausal women found yoga improved menopausal symptoms, sleep, anxiety, depression, BMI and blood pressure, but not hot flushes or quality of life.
No difference foundMeta-analysis · 2,028 participants pooled · 2025Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
A systematic review of 18 trials found that yoga, tai chi, meditation and relaxation practices often improved overall menopausal symptoms, hot flushes, mood, sleep and musculoskeletal pain.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 882 participants pooled · 2010Midlife womenCited 58 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
A pooled analysis of three trials including yoga for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women found yoga reduced hot flush frequency over 8 weeks similarly to acupuncture and education, more than usual care.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 8 weeks · 2019Midlife womenCited 5 timesPubMed
A systematic review of seven studies found insufficient rigorous evidence that yoga reduces menopausal symptoms compared with walking, exercise or no treatment.
No difference foundSystematic review · 2009Midlife womenCited 46 timesPubMed
Breast cancer survivors with hot flashes did an 8 week Yoga of Awareness program and reported greater improvements in hot flash frequency, severity, joint pain, fatigue and sleep than a wait-list group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 37 women · 8 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 182 timesPubMed
A review of controlled trials found exercise trials for hot flushes gave mixed results, while one yoga trial reduced hot flushes and improved cognitive symptoms more than exercise.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2014Midlife womenCited 27 timesPubMed
A review of 26 RCTs found yoga trials showed mixed results for hot flushes and night sweats, while CBT and relaxation therapies more consistently reduced symptoms in menopausal women and breast cancer survivors.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2017Midlife womenCited 24 timesPubMed
Among sedentary peri and postmenopausal women randomized to yoga, aerobic exercise or usual activity plus omega-3 or placebo, omega-3 did not improve hot flush frequency, bother, sleep or mood versus placebo over 12 weeks.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 355 women · 12 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 63 timesPubMed
Peri- and postmenopausal women with hot flushes did 12 weeks of yoga classes or individualized aerobic exercise; yoga improved menopause-related quality of life scores versus usual activity, exercise did not.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 355 women · 12 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 62 timesPubMed
Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with hot flushes tried yoga or aerobic exercise for up to 12 weeks, and neither reduced hot flush frequency or bother compared to control.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 899 women · 12 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 42 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
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 with frequent hot flushes were randomized to 12 weeks of yoga, aerobic exercise, or usual activity, with adherence of 59% for yoga and 77% for exercise reported.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 355 women · 12 weeks · 2013Midlife womenCited 21 timesPubMed
Pooled data from 1,005 peri and postmenopausal women with hot flushes found yoga and aerobic exercise modestly improved menopause-related quality of life compared with control, with smaller effects than some drug treatments.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 1,005 women · 2020Midlife womenCited 14 timesPubMed
Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with frequent hot flashes did 10 weeks of weekly yoga classes, and researchers found no significant difference in hot flash frequency decline versus education or wait list groups.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 54 women · 10 weeks · 2014PerimenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
In a trial of yoga, exercise and omega-3 supplements for hot flushes in 282 peri and postmenopausal women, heart rate variability did not relate to flush frequency or intensity over 12 weeks.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 282 women · 12 weeks · 2016Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
In a 12 week RCT of 335 midlife women with hot flushes, neither a yoga program nor supervised aerobic exercise changed heart rate variability compared with a usual activity group.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 335 women · 12 weeks · 2016Midlife womenCited 11 timesPubMed
In an RCT of 80 menopausal women, one year of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga improved vasomotor, psychosocial and physical quality of life domains more than brisk walking, with no change in reproductive hormones.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 80 women · 52 weeks · 2021Midlife womenCited 13 timesPubMed
Menopausal women did eight online laughter yoga sessions over four weeks; the yoga group reported lower vasomotor symptom scores and better sleep quality than controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 36 women · 4 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with frequent hot flushes did 8 weeks of restorative yoga and researchers reported fewer and less severe hot flushes by the end of the trial.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 14 women · 8 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 37 timesPubMed
A quasi-experimental trial found 6 to 24 months of Shivam Yoga practice in women aged 40-65 reduced climacteric symptom scores and increased estrogen and testosterone levels versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 182 women · 104 weeks · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
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
Across MsFLASH trials of over 1,300 women, researchers found yoga or exercise did not reduce hot flashes compared with usual activity.
No difference foundOther · 1,300 women · 2020Midlife womenCited 18 timesPubMed
A review of trials in menopausal women reported that aerobic exercise and yoga were linked to improved mood, quality of life, insomnia and some vasomotor symptoms compared with no exercise.
Reported an improvementOther · 2009Midlife womenCited 66 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
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