Does other aerobic exercise affect joint pain in menopause? What 12 studies found

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.

Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2014Midlife womenCited 27 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

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

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

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.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 240 women · 16 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 13 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

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.

No difference foundRandomised trial · 38 women · 12 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed

Fifty postmenopausal women with osteopenia did 12 weeks of light to moderate aerobic walking; bone formation and resorption markers did not differ from controls, but pain, walking speed and balance improved.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed

After a 12 month moderate to vigorous exercise program, postmenopausal women had lower body mass index and lower foot plantar pressures than a control group.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 121 women · 52 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed

In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, 12 weeks of balance and coordination training improved balance, while strengthening exercise improved pain, and no falls occurred during follow-up.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 12 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed

A review reported that aerobic and resistance exercise in postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis improved joint function, reduced pain and modulated inflammatory markers.

Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed

Postmenopausal women with breast cancer on aromatase inhibitors did 6 months of moderate aerobic exercise or usual care, and exercisers had no significant increase in pain while usual care worsened.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 136 women · 26 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed