Is exercise good for the eyes? And can it prevent eye diseases?

Can exercise be good for the eyes? Yes; We all know that exercise can improve our cardiovascular health, physical fitness and strength. But maybe few people know that exercise is even useful for vision.

Today, optometrists and ophthalmologists, apart from specialized care solutions, also suggest doing exercises for the eyes. If you want to know how exercise is good for the eyes and what exercises are more effective for improving the eyes, read this article until the end!

Does exercise help improve eyesight? Is exercise good for the eyes?

Yes! Studies of the past few decades show that “exercise” can risk of infection Reduce age-related cataracts (clouding and clouding of the lens), glaucoma (eye disorders related to the optic nerve) and even age-related macular degeneration (destruction of the light-sensitive part of the retina). Please note that exercising does not cure vision problems such as nearsightedness or farsightedness (or the other diseases we mentioned), but it can reduce the risk.

Exercise can also reduce the chance of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes (type 2 diabetes has a devastating effect on vision). Regular exercise, along with a healthy diet, can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which can negatively affect your vision.

How does exercise prevent or improve eye diseases?

Exercise can improve or even prevent some eye problems (such as eye fatigue, eye strain, eyelid drooping, or drooping eyelids). But alone it cannot have a therapeutic effect. Exercise is beneficial for the eyes for the following reasons?

• Increase blood circulation
• Reducing inflammation and pressure on the eyes
• Strengthening the eyelid muscles (in some cases) and controlling blood sugar and blood pressure

As soon as you exercise, blood circulation increases throughout the body, including the eyes, and oxygen and nutrients reach your eyes better and more. Also, regular exercise can help reduce inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is associated with many eye diseases, such as macular degeneration (degeneration of the light-sensitive part of the retina). Finally, exercise is effective in controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, both of which are risk factors for eye diseases.

The role of exercise in preventing or improving eyelid twitching

Blepharitis is a mild spasm in one or both eyelids, and if the cause is fatigue, it may improve with eye exercise.

Tip: Eyelid jumping may have other reasons, such as nerve disorders or corneal scratching, in this case, exercise has no effect on the eyes, and you should only see a specialist doctor for recovery and treatment.

The role of exercise in preventing or improving eye fatigue

Your eye muscles may get tired due to looking too much at the screen (phone, laptop, TV); In this situation, exercise for the eyes helps to eliminate these fatigues and prevent its side effects.

The role of exercise in preventing or improving eyelid droop

If the drooping eyelid is due to the weakness of the eyelid muscles or chronic fatigue, a little improvement can be achieved with eye exercises.

The role of exercise in preventing or improving eye pressure

Aerobic exercises of moderate intensity can reduce intraocular pressure and instead increase blood flow to the retina; As a result, the optic nerve is in a better condition.

TipIn yoga exercise, don’t do inverted movements and standing on your head, which increases the pressure inside the eyes.

The role of exercise in preventing or improving glaucoma or glaucoma

Research shows that low-intensity exercise significantly lowers eye pressure, which is the main cause of glaucoma. One of the ways to treat glaucoma or glaucoma is to reduce eye pressure, which is achieved with low-intensity aerobic exercise.

The role of exercise in preventing or improving cataracts

A detailed study in 2013 showed that power walking helps reduce the risk of developing cataracts! Another study in 2016 also pointed to the fact that lack of physical activity may increase the risk of developing cataracts! So the importance of exercise for the eyes is very high.

The role of exercise in preventing or improving macular degeneration (destruction of the light-sensitive part of the retina).

In another study on the effects of exercise on the eyes, researchers followed 4,000 elderly people for 15 years. They found that people who exercised three or more times a week had less damage to the light-sensitive part of the retina. This destruction causes the growth of blood vessels under the retina and leakage of blood and fluid into the eye and eventually loss of vision.

Some examples of eye exercises to strengthen the eye muscles

Exercise and exercise for the eyes can be a “part” of vision treatments; Kind of like physiotherapy for the eyes! Your optometrist may give you an eye exercise program to improve vision, ease eye movements, stimulate the brain’s visual center, and help you focus. In the following, we bring a series of these exercises; But it is always best to consult a specialist before starting “exercises that have a therapeutic aspect”.

• eye roll: Roll your eyeballs from side to side. Look to the right and then slowly look to the left. Exercising the small muscles of the eye makes the blood pump more.
• blink: Blink quickly 10-15 times. Then close your eyes and rest for 20 seconds. Repeat this exercise several times a day. Remember to blink every time you stare at the screen to keep your eyes moist.
• Change focus: Hold a pencil in front of your face and move it away and slowly bring it closer. In this way, you have changed the focus point of your eyes and your eyes will stay healthier.
• Compliance with the 20-20-20 rule : When you are concentrating on an eye task (such as embroidery, computer work, etc.), pause every 20 minutes and focus on something 20 meters away for 20 seconds.
• Placing the palm on the eyes: Gently place your palms over your closed eyes until all images go black. Note: You are not supposed to put pressure on the eye in any way; Your hands should be clean.
• Looking at the English number 8: Imagine a large English number 8 about 5 feet in front of you. Draw it slowly with your eyes several times. Then go to the other side.

final word

Exercise is beneficial and effective for the eyes and can reduce the risk of cataracts and eye fatigue. In fact, it can have a positive effect on the symptoms that are caused by the aging of the eyes, and it cannot work for problems such as near or farsightedness. In this article, we talked about the various benefits of exercise for the eyes and introduced several special exercises to strengthen the eyes and vision.

Sources: webmd – eyecareresolutionsatl