How Exercise Benefits Our Eyes
Exercising for good health is a top priority for many people.
We exercise to build strength, stay fit, and feel good. Staying active is crucial to overall health, including lowering our risk of chronic health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, and high blood pressure, but did you know that exercise can specifically benefit the health of your eyes? Let’s take a look at some of the ways we can maintain good vision health through exercise!
Our Eyes Without Exercise
Studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle can leave a person at greater risk of vision loss as they age than a more active lifestyle. This is because many of those chronic diseases that impact our overall health can take a toll on our vision. Type 2 diabetes, for instance, is a major risk factor for several sight-threatening conditions, including diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, cataracts, and glaucoma.
Reducing Your Risk Of Eye Disease
When we say that exercise is good for your eyes, we don’t mean you won’t need glasses anymore if you work out, but eating healthy and exercising regularly are the best ways to prevent developing these chronic and sight-threatening conditions. Exercising at least three times per week can make you 70 percent less likely to develop wet age-related macular degeneration, and it can drop your chance of developing glaucoma by 25 percent!
Exercise Tips For Eye Health
We know it isn’t always easy to find time in your busy schedule for a trip to the gym, but that’s not the only way you can stay fit, and you don’t need to become a bodybuilder in order to stay healthy. Simply taking regular walks around your block, going for light jogs, and even doing yoga can significantly decrease your risks for developing sight-threatening conditions. Just make sure you’re doing these things at least two to three times a week!
Here’s a cardio workout you could squeeze into just a few minutes of free time:
Regularly Scheduling Check-ups
Along with making time for a regular exercise regimen, it’s important to continue scheduling eye exams! Exercise will do you a world of good, but it isn’t a cure-all. That’s why Vision Source® is always here to make sure your eyes are staying healthy, so keep scheduling times to see your local Vision Source member optometrist and keep exercising! Your eyes will thank you for both!
Keep up the good work in keeping your eyes healthy!
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