Brisk walking may improve symptoms of Parkinson's, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease could improve their motor function, mood, tiredness, fitness and some aspects of thinking abilities if they regularly walk for exercise.

"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," study author Ergun Y. Uc said in a statement.

For the study, researchers asked 60 people to take part in sessions of walking at moderate intensity while wearing heart rate monitors three times a week for 45 minutes per session for six months. The participants also took tests that measured their motor function, aerobic fitness, mood, tiredness, and memory and thinking abilities.

The average walking speed was about 2.9 miles per hour, and participants were exercising at 47 percent of their heart rate reserve, which meets the definition of moderate intensity aerobic exercise.

Researchers found that brisk walking improved motor function and mood by 15 percent, attention/response control scores by 14 percent, reduced tiredness by 11 percent, and increased aerobic fitness and gait speed by seven percent. On the test of motor function, participants improved by an average of 2.8 points, which is considered a clinically important difference.

"People with mild-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, and experience benefits," Uc said.

Uc said more research is needed; the results need to be confirmed in a randomized study with a control group.

The findings were recently published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.