Background: Aerobic exercise combined with breathing exercise can be an integral part of diabetes mellitus treatment. This single-center, randomized, parallel-group study investigated the effect of the combination of aerobic exercise with slow deep breathing and mindfulness meditation on the glucose and cortisol levels of women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Materials and Methods: Fifty-eight middle-aged women with T2DM (mean age: 45.67 ± 2.92 years) were randomly assigned to either the aerobic training group (AT: n = 29; mean age [46.1 ± 2.7 years]) or the aerobic exercise combined with slow deep breathing and mindfulness meditation (AT + DMM: n = 29; mean age [45.24 ± 3.14 years]). Aerobic exercise was performed at 60%–75% of the maximum heart rate. The women in each group were asked to perform the training three times weekly over a 6-week period. The duration of each session was 40 min for the AT group and 60 min for the AT + DMM group. The two groups were asked to perform aerobic exercise at 60%–75% of the maximum heart rate. Their fasting blood glucose (FBG) and serum cortisol levels were measured at the baseline and after the 6 weeks.Results: Compared with the AT group, the group undertaking 6 weeks of aerobic training combined with slow, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness meditation showed significantly lower levels of FBG (p = 0.001) and cortisol levels (p = 0.01) than the AT group.Conclusion: The addition of slow deep breathing and mindfulness meditation to aerobic exercise can better control the glucose and cortisol levels of women with T2DM and thereby improve their outcomes and decrease their cardiometabolic risk.

Background: Stress and fatigue experienced by lactating employed mothers could affect mothers’ and babies' mental and physical health detrimentally. Aerobic exercise is known to control stress and fatigue, but the dosages of the exercises needed to maintain long-term effects are under investigation. This study aimed to investigate the acute and long-term effects of aerobic exercise on controlling stress and fatigue in lactating employed mothers. Methods: This randomized control study involved sixty lactating employed mothers who were suffering from stress and fatigue. They were divided into two groups. Group A received five sessions of 30-minute aerobic training on a treadmill/week, in addition to lifestyle modification advice for 6 weeks. Group B received the same lifestyle routine advice for the same duration without being trained. Assessment of stress and fatigue levels were done before, after 6 weeks, and after 6 months from the baseline assessments using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) respectively. Results: Post-six weeks comparison within and between both groups showed a significant decline in PSS-10 and FAS in group A compared with group B (p < 0.001), however after six months of follow up there were statistically significant effects within groups only (p<0.05), and no statistically significant difference between groups at both variables as (p>0.05). Conclusion: Aerobic exercises for 6 weeks can induce an acute but not long-term effect on the stress and fatigue control in lactating employed mothers. Future research is needed to tailor the exercise prescription needed to maintain training long-term benefits.Trial registration: Clinical Trials Registration. Registered 4 June 2021, (Registry ID: NCT 04913558)

Background: Vitamin D and calcium levels are negatively affected during postpartum period, making postnatal woman more vulnerable to health issues and consequently lowering her quality of life. Objective: This study examined the effect of aerobic exercise of moderate intensity on postpartum women's vitamin D and ionized calcium levels. Patients and Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 40 postnatal women. Participants' ages ranged from 20 to 35 years old. The investigation was carried out at Al-Zahraa University Hospitals in Cairo in the Gynecology Department's Outpatient Clinic. Participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups: Control group (Group A) who did not perform any type of exercise during the study duration (n = 20), and intervention group (Group B) who were engaged in aerobic exercise program consisting of treadmill walking for 40 minutes, three times per week, for 12 weeks (n = 20). All postnatal women in both groups were evaluated by measuring serum vitamin D and ionized calcium levels before and after the treatment program. Results: Post-treatment comparison showed that Group B had a considerable advantage over Group A in terms of the mean values of vitamin D and ionized Ca++ levels (P=0.015*, P=0.003* respectively). Conclusion: Aerobic exercise is effective in increasing levels of serum vitamin D and ionized calcium in postnatal women.

Objectives To compare the effects of whole‐body vibration (WBV) and aerobic exercise on the hormonal profile and inflammatory status in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Methods A prospective, randomized, pre–post‐test, single‐blind, controlled trial was conducted in 105 women diagnosed with PMS. They were randomized into three equal groups. All women received magnesium and vitamin B complex supplementation once daily. WBV training was added three times per week to the WBV group. The aerobic exercise group added aerobic exercise three times per week, while the control group received no additional intervention. The Premenstrual Syndrome Questionnaire (PMSQ) was used to assess PMS symptoms. Blood analysis was performed to measure hormone assays (estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and cortisol) and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein at the start and after the end of the treatment program. Results There was no statistically significant difference between WBV and aerobic exercise according to PMSQ and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (P = 0.99 and P = 0.98, respectively), but there was a statistically significant difference between both groups in cortisol, progesterone, prolactin, and estradiol (P = 0.001), with more favor given to the WBV group. Conclusion WBV and aerobic exercise have positive effects on women with PMS, with more favor given to WBV.