Exercising is universally known to have countless benefits for both your physical and mental health. Staying active frequently promotes increased energy, heart health, weight loss, improved sleep, and more. Over the past decade, studies have started to reveal the ways that exercising can improve your overall eye health, too. If you’re just beginning your fitness journey, don’t become discouraged and compare your progress to others because, either way, you’ll experience its benefits. When it comes to your eye care, make sure you regularly visit a trusted ophthalmologist and don’t solely rely on physical activity to improve your vision. Even though working out won’t cure smaller problems like your near or farsightedness, the many benefits surely prove its worth.
Lowering Risk of Disease
Exercising often helps your body protect itself and can even decrease your chances of experiencing certain eye diseases like glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts. On the other hand, not being regularly active could increase your likelihood of developing one of these. Those with glaucoma have found that exercise has a great impact on this disease and helps lower the pressure in your eyes, which is a big part of it. Adding cardio to your routine is a good starting point for preventing glaucoma and lowering your intraocular pressure over time.
To ensure you’re remaining consistent with your workouts, try to set time aside at least three times a week. This could make a difference and, on top of glaucoma, lowers your risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Even if you already have one of these conditions, exercising can prevent them from worsening as you age. Cardio activities will protect your ganglion cells, which help process the images you see during the day. Keeping your eyes healthy through fitness is one of the easiest ways to prevent these diseases or slow them down.
Exercising With Age
Aging brings various changes to your eye health and vision and, though it’s inevitable for everyone, being active can slow this process. It’s easy to stop relying on fitness as you get older, but incorporating easy and simple exercises can make a difference. Take a walk around your neighborhood before dinner or when you wake up, even if it’s only 20 to 30 minutes. Any activity is always better than no activity, especially when you’re working on your health.
Research has proven that the less you work out the quicker you could experience vision loss, so don’t give up forever. Other than your eyes, getting this regular activity improves and slows the entire aging process in general. Visit your eye doctor frequently if you do find trouble with your vision as you mature. If you really want to keep your eyesight crisp and healthy, start exercising sooner rather than later!
Eye Exercises
While eye exercises won’t reduce risks as physical fitness does, they can help reduce strain and irritation. There are multiple types of activities to workout your eyes, but two common and simple ones include the Focus Change and the Figure Eight. Both of these eye exercises can be done anywhere and are most effective if you’re seated.
Focus Change: Hold your index finger in front of your face and have your eyes focus on it. While holding this focus, start to move your finger further away slowly, before turning away. When you turn back and refocus on your finger, move it closer to your face and repeat this several times. This challenges and can even slightly improve your ability to focus.
Figure Eight: Focus on a spot on the floor about 10 feet in front of you and trace an invisible eight with your eyes. After tracing for 30 seconds, switch your eyes in the opposite direction and repeat this activity several times like the last. This can improve your ability to follow and keep track of an object with your eyes.
How We Can Help
At Medical Arts Eye Clinic and Optical, we value the health and safety of our customers above all else. With services ranging from routine eye exams to more in-depth treatments, we can help you keep your vision safe. Our team has the knowledge and experience to guide you through any process and keep you informed. Contact us to learn more about the importance of your eye health and how our help will benefit you.