Seeing the Benefits of Exercise

Generally, what’s good for the heart is good for the eyes, and research shows that’s true of exercise.

Following a fifteen-year study exploring the effects of lifestyle on vision, researchers concluded in 2006 that adults with an active lifestyle were 70 percent less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degenerative eye disease, than those who were more sedentary.

More recently, in 2010, the online edition of the Archives of Ophthalmology reported that women with healthy diets who regularly exercise and do not smoke are two-thirds less likely to develop AMD.

AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 60 and results when the light-sensitive cells in the back of the eye, an area called the macula, stop working.

Exercise, along with nutritious foods and adequate sleep, keeps our physical machine — eyes included — in top shape.

No matter your preferred exercise, make sure you consider eye safety and comfort. Certain youth and competitive sports may require special safety gear, but for the average adult, the sun is perhaps the biggest concern. Any time you are outdoors for a period of time (golfing, biking, hiking, etc.), wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Brands like Oakley and Maui Jim — available at Insight Eyecare’s Kilgore and White Oak locations, with no sales tax —offer snug-fit, lightweight sunglasses to meet the needs of hardcore athletes and occasional exercisers alike.

Dr. Jeff Pinkerton
iCare for you.