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People who exercise regularly may be less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, a US study has suggested.

Researchers from Boston's Harvard School of Public Health followed more than 143,000 people with an average age of 63 over a 10-year period.

Over the course of the study, 413 people developed Parkinson's.

The team found that those with moderate to vigorous activity levels were 40 per cent less likely to develop the condition than those with no or light activity levels.

Those with moderate to vigorous activity were exercising an average of 30 minutes per day or more.

Lead researcher Evan Thacker said: "This study does not prove that exercise caused the lowered risk of Parkinson's - it's possible that something else lowers the risk.

"But considering all of the other benefits of exercise, it certainly doesn't hurt to make sure you get some moderate or vigorous exercise several times a week."

The researchers also looked at the participants' activity level at age 40 and found that there was no significant relationship between the level of physical activity at age 40 and the risk of developing Parkinson's.

"If exercise truly does provide some protection against Parkinson's, the protection may be relatively short term," Thacker added.

"However, in a previous study with a similar prospective design activity in early adulthood was related to lower risk for Parkinson's, so the jury's still out on this one."

The study findings will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston next month.

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, talking, swallowing and writing.

The disease generally affects both men and women who are more than 40 years old.

There are about 120,000 in the UK with Parkinson's, figures from the Parkinson's Disease Society show.

No cure has currently been discovered.