Staying active is great for our general health and the health of our eyes!
Eating nutritious food, adequate sleep, and regular exercise helps us stay in touch shape, feel healthier, and get stronger.
These will help us reduce our chances of developing chronic health problems like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart conditions.
A lesser-known benefit is how it impacts our lifelong eye health.
Sedentary Lifestyles Increase the Risk of Eye Disease
First, let’s look at what can happen to our eyes if we don’t make an effort to stay active.
It actually makes us more prone to vision loss as we get older.
Type 2 diabetes in particular is one of the biggest risk factors for cataracts and diabetes eye disease (diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, and glaucoma) which can lead to blindness.
Additionally, without the right nutrients from eating a healthy diet and supplements (eye vitamins) or getting enough rest to recharge, our eyes (along with the rest of our immune system) won’t have the best tools to defend against infection or eye disease.
How Can We Reduce the Chances of Eye Disease
1.Staying active – Simply by exercising three times a week, we can lower the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration by as much as 75%, while simultaneously reducing the risk of glaucoma by 25%.
If you have glaucoma, regular exercises can also help control eye pressure.
Also make sure to incorporate plenty of vegetables (not just carrots) into our meals and get Doctors advice on the best supplements for your eyes and age.
What’s the Best Eye-Healthy Exercise Plan?
The best workout is the workout you do. Don’t worry so much about whether or not you’re doing the most effective routines; prioritize regular physical activity first.
What kind of exercise are you most likely to do regularly?
For some people, it’s a traditional gym workout. Others prefer to swim or to go for walks or jogs around their neighborhoods. Jumping jacks, dancing, skipping and other forms of aerobic exercises are excellent.
You might prefer the social element of joining a local sports club, a martial arts studio, Yoga or dance classes.
There’s something for everyone. Whichever activities are most enjoyable for you are the ones you’re most likely to keep doing.
The same goes for eating healthy. Find the healthy foods you enjoy eating!
Make Room for Regular Eye Exams
While diet and exercise can go a long way towards overall health, it’s still important to have regular checkups with the doctor — and the eye doctor! We want to make sure everything is staying healthy and keep those prescriptions up to date.
For many sight-threatening diseases, early detection is also the best tool we have to fight back.