Background: Abdominal obesity is highly prevalent among early postmenopausal women due to estrogen deficiency, reduced basal metabolic rate, and decreased physical activity levels. The redistribution of adipose tissue toward the abdominal region significantly increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and functional decline. Non-pharmacological interventions, particularly structured exercise programs, are considered first-line strategies for managing central adiposity. Breathing exercises and core stabilization training may enhance deep abdominal muscle activation, improve intra-abdominal pressure regulation, and potentially reduce abdominal girth. However, limited randomized controlled trials have evaluated their combined effect in early postmenopausal women.

Objective: To describe the study protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of breathing and core stabilization exercises on abdominal obesity in early postmenopausal women.

Methods: This study is designed as a parallel-group pilot randomized controlled trial including 30 early postmenopausal women aged 45-55 years with waist circumference ≥80 cm. Participants will be randomly allocated into an Intervention Group receiving structured breathing and core stabilization exercises and a Control Group receiving general lifestyle advice and walking recommendations. The intervention will be conducted for 8 weeks, 5 days per week. The primary outcome will be waist circumference, while secondary outcomes will include waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, and abdominal muscle endurance. Feasibility parameters such as adherence rate and retention rate will also be assessed.