In the authors' words
“Aerobic training improved systolic blood pressure (mean difference (MD) = -4.41 mmHg, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) [-7.29, -1.52], p = 0.01), resting heart rate (MD = -3.08 bpm, 95%CI [-5.11, -1.05], p < 0.01), body mass index (BMI, MD = -0.65 kg/m(2), 95%CI [-0.99, -0.31], p < 0.01), waist circumference (MD = -2.03 cm, 95%CI [-2.65, -1.41], p < 0.01), body fat (MD = -2.57 kg, 95%CI [-3.65, -1.49], p < 0.01), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = -10.46 mg/dL, 95%CI [-16.31, -4.61], p < 0.01), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = 3.28 mg/dL, 95%CI [0.20, 6.36], p = 0.04) and cardiorespiratory fitness (standardized MD = 1.38, 95%CI [1.13, 1.64], p < 0.01).”
What was measured
- Blood pressure Reported an improvement
- Body fat and weight Reported an improvement
- Cholesterol and lipids Reported an improvement
- Fitness Reported an improvement
- Blood sugar and insulin Mixed results
About the study
- Type
- Meta-analysis
- Who took part
- Postmenopausal
- How many
- 4,225
- Exercise
- Other aerobic exercise
- Cited
- 5 times, per Europe PMC
- PubMed ID
- 39431435
How to read this. Each line is one study, summarised in plain language from its PubMed abstract, with the authors' own sentence underneath on the study page. A count of studies is not a verdict: trials differ in size, length and quality, and a result in one group of women may not hold in another. Nothing here is medical advice.
Summaries are generated, then checked by machine against the abstract they came from; any summary that could not be matched word for word was left out. Our clinical lead is reviewing the summaries topic by topic, and this note will change when that is done. Corpus last refreshed 2026-11-03. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix the summary or remove the study.
Similar studies
- A meta-analysis of 101 trials with 5,697 postmenopausal women found aerobic training reduced fat mass and resistance training increased muscle mass, with combined training offering both benefits.
- A meta-analysis of 39 RCTs in postmenopausal women found exercise training improved waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL, glucose, and blood pressure, with combined training most effective.
- A meta-analysis of 129 trials in postmenopausal women found aerobic, resistance and combined training increased cardiorespiratory fitness and lower-body strength, while only resistance training increased upper-body strength.
- A network meta-analysis of 38 trials in postmenopausal women found water exercise best improved blood pressure and total cholesterol, combined training improved triglycerides and HDL, and resistance training improved LDL.