Brisk walking may improve the symptoms of people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests.

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disease, the symptoms of which include tremors, stiffness and slow movement. An estimated six to seven thousand people in Ireland are affected and there is currently no cure.

US researchers followed the progress of 60 people with the condition. For six months, the participants undertook 45-minute walks of moderate intensity three times a week. During the study, all took tests that measured fitness levels, motor function, tiredness, mood, memory and thinking abilities.

The researchers found that brisk walking improved the motor function of the participants by 15% and their response/attention scores by 14%. It also reduced tiredness by 11% and increased aerobic fitness and walking speed by 7%.

In relation to motor function, the participants recorded an average improvement of 2.8 points, which according to the researchers, is considered a clinically important difference.

"The results of our study suggest that walking may provide a safe and easily accessible way of improving the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and improve quality of life," commented the study's author, Dr Ergun Uc, of the University of Iowa.

While he acknowledged that further studies are needed to confirm these results, he insisted that people with mild to moderate Parkinson's ‘who do not have dementia and are able to walk independently without a cane or walker, can safely follow the recommended exercise guidelines for healthy adults, which includes 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic activity'.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Neurology.