Moderate exercise on daily basis, rather than intense activity, can help people lose weight, reduce high blood pressure and cut down on blood sugar, all factors showing early warning signs of disease.

Researchers at the U.S. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina showed that people, who walk briskly for 30 minutes a day, six days a week, could cut their risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) and lead healthier lives.

“Our study shows that you'll benefit even if you don't make any dietary changes," study leader Johanna L. Johnson, a clinical researcher at Duke University Medical Center, said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Johnson’s team studied 334 adults having metabolic syndrome, aged between 40 and 65. People with this condition have at least three of the following risk factors: large waist, low level of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides (a type of blood fat), elevated blood pressure and elevated glucose levels after fasting. According to many previous studies, a growing number of people have these problems.

The participants were split in four groups. The first group did low amount of moderate exercise, meaning almost 12 miles per week, second group did low amount of vigorous exercise, meaning jogging almost 12 miles per week, third group did high amount of vigorous exercise, meaning jogging nearly 20 miles per week and, finally, the fourth group did no exercise at all.

 Before participating in the study, 41 percent of the subjects met the criteria for metabolic syndrome. After eight months of exercise, the percentage decreased to only 27 percent. All participants that exercised these eight months lost inches around their waistline.

"That's a significant decline in prevalence. It's also encouraging news for sedentary, middle-aged adults who want to improve their health. It means they don't have to go out running 4 or 5 days a week; they can get significant health benefits by simply walking around the neighborhood after dinner every night," said Johnson.

Participants who did low amounts of moderate exercise or high amounts of vigorous exercise registered the biggest strides against metabolic syndrome. Participants who got a lot of vigorous exercise knew the biggest improvements, while having moderate exercise was sufficient to make visible improvements.

"A modest amount of exercise at moderate intensity -- that's just a brisk walking pace -- and in the absence of dietary change can significantly decrease your risk of metabolic syndrome," says Johnson.

As for the participants in the last group, who stayed tuned to their sedentary lives, “they got unbelievable worse,” Johnson said.

She also added that some exercise done on daily basis “is better than none, more exercise is generally better than less and no exercise can be disastrous."

The study came after a week after another U.S. study found that 30 minutes of moderate exercise could cut the risk of early death by a quarter, while eating a strict Mediterranean diet could cut the risk of dying early by a fifth.

The results of the study funded by the National Institutes of Health appear in the December issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.