BACKGROUND: Exercise training reduces adiposity and risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the combined effects of habitual free-living physical activity and aerobic training on waist circumference, weight, fitness, and blood pressure in postmenopausal women are unknown. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of habitual physical activity levels during aerobic training on weight, waist circumference, fitness, and blood pressure. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of an RCT. Original data collected April 2001 to June 2005 and analyzed in 2012. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Postmenopausal women in a supervised exercise trial. INTERVENTION: Women (n = 325) were randomized to 4, 8, or 12 kcal/kg per week of aerobic training or a control group for 6 months. All outcome measures were collected at baseline and follow-up. Changes in dependent variables within each training group were evaluated across tertiles of pedometer-determined habitual physical activity outside exercise training sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in waist circumference and weight. RESULTS: Reductions in waist circumference were significantly greater with higher steps/day accumulated outside exercise training compared to lower levels in the 4 (high -4.8 cm versus low -1.4 cm, p = 0.03); 8 (high -4.2 cm versus low -0.4 cm, p = 0.03), and 12 kcal/kg per week groups (high -4.1 cm versus low -0.7 cm, p = 0.05). For all groups, p-trend <= 0.03. A trend was observed for greater weight reduction with higher steps/day in the 4 kcal/kg per week group (p-trend = 0.04) but not for the other exercise doses. No effects were observed for blood pressure or fitness measures (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal women, higher habitual physical activity while participating in aerobic training was associated with greater reductions in central adiposity, and was supportive of weight loss compared to lower levels.

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