For many women, navigating menopause and accompanying symptoms can be stressful and destabilizing. It can be difficult to manage the variety of physical and emotional changes that frequently accompany the transition. The higher risk of cardiovascular illness during and after menopause is one area that needs special attention. If you’re wondering what kinds of workouts are best for heart health at this point in life, a recent meta-analysis and systematic review published in PeerJ provides some important information. This large-scale study evaluated the efficacy of five distinct exercise modalities in lowering postmenopausal women’s cardiovascular risk. The results indicate that while nearly every type of exercise is good for the heart and lungs, interval training and aerobic plus resistance training seem to offer the biggest advantages.

How was the research carried out?

The research included 32 distinct trials with 1,427 postmenopausal female participants in total. The objective of the study was to assess how various forms of exercise affected the risk of cardiovascular disease. The following exercises were looked at in the study:

Continuous Endurance Training: This category included standard aerobic exercises done at moderate to high intensities (above 85% of VO2 max, the maximal amount of oxygen an individual can use during intense exercise), such as walking, running, cycling, rowing, swimming, and circuit training.

Any of the aerobic exercises listed above can be included into interval training, which consists of brief, sporadic bursts of exercise at moderate to high intensities. There are rest or lower intensity intervals in between the high-intensity exertion sessions.
Resistance training: To increase muscle strength and endurance, exercises using free weights, weight machines, and resistance bands are included in this category.

Resistance Training and Aerobics: This method incorporates resistance training and endurance (aerobic) workouts into a single training plan.

Any fitness regimen that incorporates components of strength training and cardiovascular activity is known as hybrid training.

How Were the Results Calculated?

The most beneficial forms of exercise for postmenopausal women were determined by the researchers using a number of parameters, including:
Dilation Assisted by Flow (FMD)
The amount that a blood vessel widens as blood passes through it is measured by flow-mediated dilation, which provides insight into the blood vessels’ overall health. Reduced dilation may indicate blood vessel health issues or be an indication of cardiovascular illness in the future. FMD was assessed in 10 investigations involving 394 people. The findings demonstrated that, in comparison to the control group, FMD was improved by endurance training, interval training, resistance training, and hybrid training, with interval training being the most successful.

Interval Training Is the Exercise That Helps FMD Patients the Most

Wavelength-Perturbation (PWV)
The time it takes for the pressure produced by a single heartbeat to pass through blood arteries is measured by pulse-wave velocity. Lower numbers imply more elastic and healthy arteries, whereas higher values indicate stiffer arteries. PWV was investigated in eighteen trials, and it was discovered that all forms of exercise improved PWV more than the control group.

Exercise for PWV that Gets the Best Results: All
Index of Augmentation (AI)
By measuring the elevated pressure brought on by a heartbeat’s reflected pressure wave, the augmentation index evaluates the stiffness of arteries. Stiffer arteries are indicated by a higher AI. AI was assessed in five trials including 163 people. Comparing the AI to the control group, the results showed that interval training and hybrid training greatly enhanced the AI. Resistance and endurance training also outperformed the control group in terms of outcomes.

AI Exercises That Produce the Best Results: Hybrid and Interval Training
Thickness of Intima-Media (IMT)
An artery’s two innermost layers’ thickness is measured by the intima-media thickness. Cardiovascular events and atherosclerosis are predicted with increased thickness. IMT was assessed in five trials with 415 postmenopausal women. Though the reductions were not statistically significant, all exercise types—aside from weight training—performed better than the control group in lowering IMT.

All exercises, excluding resistance training, yield the best results for IMT.

In summary
According to the meta-analysis, interval training and aerobic plus resistance training have the best chance of being the exercise modalities that postmenopausal women can use to lower their cardiovascular risk. Along with improving cardiovascular health, these exercise modalities also provide other advantages like increased muscle strength and general physical fitness. The greatest advantages for postmenopausal women may come from combining strength and aerobic exercises with interval training to help them manage this difficult stage of life and keep their health.