This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week Zumba training program on Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Free Thyroxine (FT4), lipid profile, and anthropometric parameters in overweight and obese postmenopausal women. Twenty-two women (aged 44‒60 years) were randomly assigned to a Zumba training group (ZG; n = 11) or a control group (CG; n = 11). The ZG participated in 60-min Zumba sessions three times per week for 12-weeks, while the CG maintained their usual lifestyle. Before and after the intervention, participants underwent assessments of body composition, blood pressure, and circulating levels of TSH, FT4, Total Cholesterol (TC), and Triglycerides (TG). Following the intervention, the ZG showed significant reductions in TSH (p = 0.001; Cohen's d (d) = 0.90), TG levels (p = 0.043; d = 0.75), body fat percentage, body mass index, waist and hip circumference, and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (all p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed for FT4 and TC levels. No notable changes were recorded in the CG. The 12-week Zumba program can serve as a feasible and enjoyable strategy for promoting physical activity in overweight and obese postmenopausal women, leading to improvements in thyroid function, TG levels, body composition, and blood pressure. These preliminary findings support the potential of Zumba for enhancing cardiometabolic health during menopause, though larger, long-term trials are needed to confirm these effects and investigate their durability.

This pilot randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of a 12-week Zumba training program on estimated aerobic capacity in overweight/obese postmenopausal women, while hematological and inflammatory outcomes were explored. Thirty overweight/obese postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to a Zumba group (ZG, n = 15) or a control group (CG, n = 15). Eight participants withdrew, and 22 completers (11/group) completed the study and were included in the per-protocol analysis. The ZG completed supervised 60 min sessions three times weekly for 12 weeks, whereas the CG maintained its usual lifestyle habits. Estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), maximal aerobic speed (MAS), hematological parameters, and inflammatory biomarkers were assessed before and after the intervention. Intervention effects were assessed using baseline-adjusted analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Estimated VO₂max was higher in the ZG than CG at follow-up (adjusted difference: 3.59 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹; partial eta squared (ηp²) = 0.683). Exploratory differences were observed for mean platelet volume (0.701 fL; ηp² = 0.400) and neutrophils (0.961 × 10³/μL; ηp² = 0.287), whereas no clear effects were identified for other hematological outcomes. Neither C-reactive protein nor erythrocyte sedimentation rate showed a clear effect. Zumba may improve estimated aerobic capacity, while the hematological findings remain exploratory and hypothesis-generating.