People may be able to reduce their risk of stroke by ensuring they break a sweat when they work out, experts have said.
Researchers at the University of South Australia looked at data on more than 27,000 adults, aged 45 and over, who were followed for an average of 5.7 years.
One-third of the participants exercised less than once a week and the researchers found that these individuals were 20 per cent more likely to have a stroke or 'mini-stroke' than those who engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity four or more times every week.
Any less activity than this did not seem to have any beneficial effect on stroke risk, at least in men. The relationship between stroke and the frequency of exercise was less clear in women.
Study author Dr Michelle McDonnell, whose findings are published in the journal Stroke, explained that exercise's beneficial impact on stroke risk is due to its effects on other risk factors.
'Exercise reduces blood pressure, weight and diabetes,' she observed. 'If exercise was a pill, you'd be taking one pill to treat four or five different conditions.'