Exercise Interventions for the Physical Management of Menopausal Korean Women: A Narrative Review of Domestic Literature

OBJECTIVES Menopause is a life stage characterized by substantial physical changes in females, second only to those experienced during growth and development. This study aimed to comprehensively review recent literature on exercise interventions for menopausal Korean women and to propose exercise programs tailored to menopause-related physical changes based on the findings.METHODS Relevant studies published between January 2015 and March 2026 were identified through domestic academic databases, including DBpia and KISS. Following the selection process, 28 Korean studies were included for analysis. Exercise interventions were synthesized and evaluated according to the physical characteristics commonly affected during menopause.RESULTS Major menopause-related physical changes included vasomotor symptoms, metabolic syndrome, increased breast cancer risk, and reduced bone mineral density. Analysis of exercise strategies targeting these conditions yielded several key findings. First, incorporating resistance exercise into long-term exercise programs was necessary for alleviating vasomotor symptoms. Second, to improve metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women, it is important to implement exercise interventions that include diverse movements and complex stimuli, thereby overcoming the metabolic plateau resulting from metabolic adaptation and improved energy efficiency. Third, although long-term exercise was necessary to reduce breast cancer risk factors and body fat percentage, increasing daily physical activity and implementing dietary management represented a practical alternative for women with limited time. Lastly, to improve bone mineral density, it is important to implement exercise interventions incorporating resistance training, along with functional exercises targeting the gluteus medius for fall prevention.CONCLUSIONS The findings confirmed the beneficial role of exercise in managing menopause-related physical changes. Furthermore, the results suggest that menopause should be viewed not as a pathological condition requiring medical treatment but as a natural life process during which women can maintain physical health independently through exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention.