Aerobic Exercise for Hot Flashes

Aerobic exercise and resistance training have emerged as non-pharmacological approaches to alleviate menopausal symptoms—particularly vasomotor complaints like hot flashes—and to enhance overall quality of life. Research in this field explores various exercise modalities, from structured aerobic routines and nutrition education programs to resistance training under professional supervision. Actigraphy-based sleep assessments also offer objective insights into how exercise may improve rest quality for women in late transitional or postmenopausal stages.

Protocols Studied in Research

Yoga and Aerobic Exercise on Actigraphic Sleep Parameters in Menopausal Women with Hot Flashes [1]

• Protocol: In this secondary analysis from the MsFLASH network, 186 late transitional and postmenopausal women (aged 40–62) with hot flashes were randomized to 12 weeks of yoga, supervised aerobic exercise, or usual activity. Actigraphy was used to objectively assess sleep parameters (total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, and variability in these measures).
• Outcome: While overall changes in actigraphic sleep measures were small and not statistically significant between groups, an exploratory analysis revealed that among women with poor baseline sleep quality (PSQI > 8), yoga was associated with a significant reduction in the variability of total sleep time compared with usual activity, suggesting a potential benefit in improving sleep stability for this subgroup.

Aerobic Exercise for Vasomotor Menopausal Symptoms [2]

• Protocol: This publication outlines the protocol for an RCT aimed at evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of two aerobic exercise interventions in inactive perimenopausal and postmenopausal women experiencing vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats). Women not using hormone therapy are to be randomized to one of two exercise interventions or to usual care, with outcomes assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.
• Outcome: As a protocol paper, no outcome data are provided; the study is designed to determine if exercise can serve as a safe and effective alternative for reducing vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women.

Resistance Training for Hot Flushes in Postmenopausal Women [3]

• Protocol: This open, parallel-group RCT in Linköping, Sweden, is designed to investigate the efficacy of standardized resistance training in symptomatic, sedentary postmenopausal women who experience at least four moderate to severe hot flushes per day (or 28 per week). Sixty participants will be randomized to either a 15‑week resistance training program (three sessions per week under physiotherapist supervision) or to continue their usual physical activity (control). The primary outcome is the change in self-reported hot flush frequency (assessed via daily diaries) from baseline to week 15.
• Outcome: As a study protocol, no results are reported. The trial aims to contribute evidence on whether resistance training can reduce hot flush frequency and improve quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Research Interpretation: Summary and Conclusion

These protocols suggest that structured exercise can benefit menopausal women by reducing hot flash frequency and severity, improving sleep stability (especially for those with poor baseline sleep quality), and enhancing quality of life. Aerobic exercise—alone or combined with nutrition education—appears to yield the most pronounced improvements in early menopausal symptoms and overall well-being, while resistance training protocols are under investigation for their potential to mitigate vasomotor symptoms.

In simple terms, although some studies are still in the protocol phase and do not provide outcomes, their designs underscore a growing interest in validating exercise-based strategies as safe, complementary approaches for menopausal symptom management.

Publications

[1] Buchanan DT, Landis CA, Hohensee C, Guthrie KA, Otte JL, Paudel M, Anderson GL, Caan B, Freeman EW, Joffe H, LaCroix AZ, Newton KM, Reed SD, Ensrud KE. Effects of Yoga and Aerobic Exercise on Actigraphic Sleep Parameters in Menopausal Women with Hot Flashes. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017 Jan 15;13(1):11-18. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.6376. PMID: 27707450; PMCID: PMC5181601.

[2] Daley AJ, Stokes-Lampard H, Thomas A, Rees M, Coleman S, Roalfe A, Hunter MS, MacArthur C. Aerobic exercise as a treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms: randomised controlled trial protocol. Maturitas. 2013 Dec;76(4):350-6. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.08.004. Epub 2013 Aug 29. PMID: 24070635.

[3] Berin E, Hammar ML, Lindblom H, Lindh-Åstrand L, Spetz Holm AC. Resistance training for hot flushes in postmenopausal women: Randomized controlled trial protocol. Maturitas. 2016 Mar;85:96-103. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.12.015. Epub 2016 Jan 3. PMID: 26857887.