Exercise for Eyes and Vision
As someone with horrible vision, I’ll do just about anything to improve my vision or at
least slow down my vision loss. It turns out that not only is exercise great for heart, muscular,
and mental health but also for your vision.
This article explains how moderate exercise can help with vision problems; more specific
patients with glaucoma. As little as a 30 minute walk, 3 times a week can help to limit symptoms of glaucoma. This exercise lowers the pressure within the eye and promotes more blood flow to the retina and optic nerve resulting in better vision. On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle helped to make glaucoma symptoms worse. Reasons are not clearly pointed out for this.
It can also help with prevention as those who participate in exercise have lower chances
of even developing glaucoma in the first place. More specifically, about 25% less likely. Keep in
mind that those with astigmatisms and other irreversible ocular issues might not receive the same benefits. This might be an interesting follow up study. One thing I would like to see is how heavy lifting can affect vision. When lifting heavy objects, pressure increases within the body, especially while holding your breath. This can have a negative impact on the eye but to what degree.
In conclusion, moderate intensity exercise can lead to better vision to a degree and can
limit the symptoms of glaucoma.
Mark Radio
Mark Radio is the General Manager of Body Elite. He graduated from Bloomsburg University in 2008 with a bachelors degree in Exercise Science. He is a certified nutritional counselor through AFPA. Mark enjoys working with all types of clients from any skill level. Mark tailors programs to your skill level and goals, putting an emphasis on strength training, high intensity cardio, and eating “real” food to get BE clients to where they want to be.