A scoping review of 67 studies covering over 103,000 midlife women found physical activity generally linked to better psychological and social outcomes like mood and quality of life.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 103,826 participants pooled · 2022Midlife womenCited 24 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.
Reported an improvementMeta-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.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 8,983 participants pooled · 2024Midlife womenCited 21 timesPubMed
A review of workplace interventions for menopausal women aged 40 to 60 found Raja yoga and health promotion programs including physical training significantly improved menopausal symptoms.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 293 participants pooled · 2023Midlife womenCited 18 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 12 trials with 1,050 women found exercise and mind-body exercise improved menopausal symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms compared with controls.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,050 participants pooled · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
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
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.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 194 women · 32 weeks · 2013Midlife womenCited 146 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
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.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 113 women · 2009Midlife womenCited 57 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 planned trial will compare cognitive behavioral therapy, physical exercise, and their combination in younger breast cancer patients with treatment-induced menopause, assessing menopausal symptoms and quality of life.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 325 women · 26 weeks · 2009OtherCited 21 timesPubMed
A systematic review examined physical activity alongside other complementary approaches used by menopausal women to manage menopause symptoms, calling for more research on safety and effectiveness.
Direction not statedSystematic review · 2004Midlife womenCited 6 timesPubMed
A 3-month web-based physical activity program for 29 Asian American midlife women increased active living habits but did not significantly change menopausal symptom severity scores versus control.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 29 women · 12 weeks · 2017Midlife womenCited 12 timesPubMed
A scoping review found one randomized study of a structured aerobic exercise program for menopausal women at work reported slight improvement in workability and mental strain.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2025Midlife womenCited 1 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 and perimenopausal women received 5 health coaching sessions over 4 months; coaching reduced menopausal symptoms and depression and improved quality of life but did not change physical activity.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 94 women · 16 weeks · 2022Midlife womenCited 5 timesPubMed
Women treated for cancer with higher self-reported physical activity had lower menopausal symptom scores, but a 12-week digital lifestyle program did not increase physical activity or significantly reduce symptoms versus control.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 280 women · 24 weeks · 2020Midlife womenCited 4 timesPubMed
A systematic review of 25 RCTs found exercise and health education programmes may help perimenopausal women manage symptoms, though study quality and results varied widely.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2026PerimenopausalPubMed
In 330 women aged 45-50 with metabolic syndrome, combined exercise therapy, mineral water, vitamins and physiotherapy reduced psychoemotional menopausal symptoms over 6 months versus conventional treatment alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 330 women · 26 weeks · 2019PerimenopausalCited 2 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 Australian women aged 45 to 55 followed for about three years, increases in physical activity were linked to increases in HDL cholesterol and wellbeing.
Reported a worseningCohort study · 292 women · 156 weeks · 1997Midlife womenCited 18 timesPubMed
In a population survey of Finnish women aged 45 to 64, physically active women reported fewer somatic menopausal symptoms than sedentary women, though this was not from a randomized trial.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 1,427 women · 2010Midlife womenCited 98 timesPubMed
In 140 Iranian women, an educational program promoting physical activity based on a behavior change model reduced sleep problems, depression, irritability and anxiety two months later.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 140 women · 8 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Menopausal women attended eight weekly cognitive-behavioral sessions including relaxation, exercise and diet, and reported significant reductions in physical and psychological symptoms and improved quality of life.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 28 women · 8 weeks · 2009Midlife womenCited 4 timesPubMed
33 perimenopausal women did a cross-over sports therapy program and reported lower menopause symptom scores and depressive mood scores compared to a control telephone-intervention phase.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 33 women · 2024PerimenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Among 305 Turkish women aged 45 to 60, physically active women reported lower total menopausal symptom scores, including sleep, sexual, joint and psychological symptoms, than less active women.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 305 women · 2014Midlife womenCited 22 timesPubMed
In a postal survey of midlife Australian women, exercise was associated with fewer somatic and psychological symptoms including depression and anxiety, but not with hot flushes or sexual function.
Mixed resultsCross-sectional study · 2006Midlife womenCited 56 timesPubMed
A 6-week health education and exercise program for Japanese menopausal women improved general health perception and physical quality of life but did not improve climacteric symptoms.
No difference foundBefore-and-after study · 39 women · 6 weeks · 2009Midlife womenCited 10 timesPubMed
In 200 postmenopausal Iranian women aged 45 to 55, confidence and emotional factors predicted starting and sticking with regular physical activity linked to menopausal quality of life.
Direction not statedCross-sectional study · 200 women · 2022PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
In a 6-month personalized lifestyle program, 75 women aged 35 to 55 reported reduced waist circumference, lower diastolic blood pressure and improved menopausal symptoms and physical activity.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 75 women · 26 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 5 timesPubMed
Midlife women who had done a walking and yoga trial were surveyed two years later; increased physical activity and fewer menopausal symptoms were linked to higher menopause-related quality of life.
Reported an improvementOther · 2009Midlife womenCited 79 timesPubMed
A UK survey of 655 women and focus groups with 24 women found activity levels often decreased during menopause, and symptoms negatively influenced motivation to exercise for over half of participants.
Mixed resultsCross-sectional study · 655 women · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
In 94 women aged 45 to 55, a random forest model found moderate physical activity was a moderately important factor among predictors of menopausal symptom severity.
Mixed resultsCross-sectional study · 94 women · 2025Midlife womenPubMed
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
In menopausal women, higher physical activity was linked to fewer menopause symptoms, which in turn related to better quality of life, in a modelling study of 86 women.
Reported an improvementOther · 86 women · 2025Midlife womenPubMed
This article discussed how physical activity can reduce menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular disease risk in women, but intervention programs are often not sustainable.
Reported an improvementOther · 2025Midlife womenCited 1 timesPubMed
A review on nonhormonal menopause management discussed evidence for diet and exercise in preventing osteoporosis and managing menopause symptoms, without giving specific outcome data.
Direction not statedOther · 2004Midlife womenCited 1 timesPubMed