Does water-based exercise affect muscle strength in menopause? What 11 studies found

A meta-analysis of 20 trials found water-based exercise improved muscle strength, aerobic capacity and flexibility versus no exercise in postmenopausal women, with similar effects to land-based exercise.

Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2022PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed

Sedentary postmenopausal women did 24 weeks of aquatic resistance exercise or elastic band training, both reducing body fat and blood pressure and improving strength and fitness tests similarly.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 46 women · 24 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 69 timesPubMed

In a 20-week RCT, postmenopausal women with stage 2 hypertension who swam 3 to 4 days a week showed reduced arterial stiffness and blood pressure and increased strength and aerobic capacity versus controls.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 100 women · 20 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed

Postmenopausal women did a 24 week high intensity aquatic exercise program and researchers reported fewer falls and improved strength, balance and mobility compared to controls.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 108 women · 24 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 28 timesPubMed

Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis did 10 months of land or aquatic exercise; land exercise improved muscle strength, flexibility, gait time, pain and bone density more than aquatic exercise.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 58 women · 43 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 22 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.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 21 women · 12 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed

Postmenopausal women did 8 weeks of water-based exercise with or without blood flow restriction; adding blood flow restriction increased leg strength more than water exercise alone.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 28 women · 8 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed

In 40 overweight or obese postmenopausal women with low vitamin D, 8 weeks of water-based aerobic training with vitamin D3 improved BMI, grip strength, balance and gait speed more than either alone.

Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 40 women · 8 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed

Postmenopausal women trained using weight machines, elastic bands, or aquatic resistance devices, and all three groups improved fat mass, fat free mass, and strength test performance.

Reported an improvementControlled trial · 2012PostmenopausalCited 28 timesPubMed

Postmenopausal women did 24 weeks of strength training or hydro gymnastics, with both groups showing improved cardiorespiratory fitness and strength training also reducing body mass index.

Mixed resultsControlled trial · 38 women · 24 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed

Over six weeks, postmenopausal obese women doing aquatic resistance, balance and proprioceptive training showed greater improvements in strength, balance and ankle-foot alignment than land-based exercise.

Reported an improvementControlled trial · 143 women · 6 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed