A meta-analysis of five trials found Kegel pelvic floor exercise, done for 4 to 12 weeks, improved urinary symptom related quality of life in postmenopausal women but not sexual symptom quality of life.
No difference foundMeta-analysis · 268 participants pooled · 2024PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of eight RCTs in postmenopausal women found 12 weeks of exercise improved sexuality and psychological menopause symptoms but not vasomotor symptoms.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,127 participants pooled · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
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 11 studies in peri and postmenopausal women found pelvic floor and mind-body exercise programs most linked to improved sexual function, while aerobic exercise showed inconsistent results and resistance training showed no benefit.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2020Midlife womenCited 42 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 21 trials found pelvic floor muscle exercises in postmenopausal women improved quality of life, sexual function, urinary incontinence, and pelvic floor function, with no effect on psychological status.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 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
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
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
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
In 145 postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of Kegel exercises improved arousal, orgasm and satisfaction scores on a sexual function questionnaire compared with routine care.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 145 women · 12 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 26 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 40 to 60 did pelvic floor muscle exercises for 12 weeks and reported higher arousal, orgasm and satisfaction scores than a control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 97 women · 12 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
In an RCT of 77 postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of pelvic floor muscle training did not change sexual function scores but was linked to fewer women with sexual dysfunction versus controls.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 77 women · 12 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 26 timesPubMed
Women with urinary incontinence received electrical stimulation plus pelvic floor training or pelvic floor training alone; sexual function scores did not differ between groups.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 114 women · 2018Midlife womenCited 24 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
117 climacteric women with stress incontinence received radiofrequency, pelvic floor muscle training, or both; urinary scores improved in all groups, most with combined treatment.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 117 women · 12 weeks · 2022Midlife womenCited 20 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
Climacteric women aged 40 to 60 with dyspareunia had five sessions of pelvic floor muscle training, which reduced pain and improved quality of life and sexual function more than lower back therapy.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 42 women · 5 weeks · 2019Midlife womenCited 25 timesPubMed
Menopausal women did 12 weeks of Kegel exercise or used lubricant gel; both groups reported improved sexual function versus control, with Kegel exercise showing a higher odds of improvement than gel.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 150 women · 12 weeks · 2022Midlife womenCited 12 timesPubMed
In 49 postmenopausal Spanish women, 12 weeks of Qigong improved genital self-image and most domains of sexual function compared with a no-intervention control group, except orgasm.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 49 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
30 postmenopausal women did an 8-week Pilates program and reported better menopause symptom scores, quality of life, and sexual function scores than controls who only attended information sessions.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 8 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 3 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
Thirty-eight postmenopausal women with hot flushes did 12 weeks of combined resistance and walking exercise, and reported reduced vasomotor symptom severity and improved sleep and mood versus controls.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 36 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A single session of pelvic floor muscle training in 103 postmenopausal women improved objectively measured vaginal lubrication compared with a no-intervention control group.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 103 women · 2026PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
In a 5-year study of women aged 45 to 55, exercise was the only psychosocial variable significantly associated with sexual satisfaction during the menopause transition.
Reported an improvementCohort study · 57 women · 260 weeks · 2005PerimenopausalCited 21 timesPubMed
Depressed postmenopausal women with sexual dysfunction did supervised diaphragmatic breathing exercises for 12 weeks and had greater reductions in depression scores and increases in sexual function scores than controls, with no difference in walk test distance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 64 women · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
In an 8-week trial in postmenopausal women, pelvic floor training plus active photobiomodulation improved sexual function scores more than training plus sham photobiomodulation; pelvic pressure did not differ significantly.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 8 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
A 12 week pelvic floor muscle training program in postmenopausal women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause reduced symptoms and improved quality of life and sexual function.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 32 women · 12 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause did pelvic floor muscle training and showed improved vulvovaginal blood flow, muscle relaxation speed, and tissue elasticity.
Direction not statedBefore-and-after study · 29 women · 2020PostmenopausalCited 33 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
Sedentary postmenopausal women did a 3-month exercise and pelvic floor training program, which increased pelvic floor muscle strength and reduced anxiety but did not improve sexual function.
No difference foundBefore-and-after study · 32 women · 12 weeks · 2012Early postmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women with urinary incontinence did an 8-week combined pelvic muscle exercise and yoga program, reporting improved pelvic muscle strength and incontinence symptoms.
Direction not statedBefore-and-after study · 55 women · 8 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 17 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women, higher physical activity was associated with less sexual discomfort, with greater improvement in lubrication and pain among those also using hormone therapy.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 260 women · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
A trial protocol will compare pelvic floor muscle training alone versus combined with photobiomodulation in women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause, over 16 sessions, with no results yet.
Direction not statedOther · 8 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A trial protocol will compare 12 weeks of urban dance versus functional fitness against a control group for physical and psychological effects in postmenopausal women aged 40 to 59.
Direction not statedOther · 12 weeks · 2025Early postmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
This protocol describes a planned trial comparing pelvic floor physiotherapy versus laser therapy for genitourinary symptoms in breast cancer survivors, with no results yet available.
Direction not statedOther · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed