Everyone knows that regular exercise is important, but how does it affect our bodies? As well as supporting a longer, healthier life, being active also provides many physical, mental and emotional benefits. Incorporating your favourite exercise into your daily routine supports our cardiovascular system, reduces stress, promotes better sleep and even aids our vision.
If you’re looking for professional advice, you can find optometrists in Melbourne who offer personalised tips to keep your eyes healthy as part of your overall fitness routine.
In this guide, we will look a bit deeper into how we can maintain healthy eyes whilst being active.
Exercise and Vision: How they Align
As well as benefiting us in a multitude of ways, exercise does wonders for our eyesight. Here are just a few reasons why physical activity supports eye function:
- Increases blood circulation
Exercising enhances blood flow through our entire body, including our eyes, which in turn keeps them healthy as they receive plenty of nutrients and oxygen.
- Lessens eye strain
Taking some time for physical activity, in whatever form this may be, helps us to take a break from looking at screens. As well as giving our eyes a rest whilst we exercise, we also practise focusing on varying distances, rather than the screen in front of us, which is advantageous for muscles in our eyes.
- Enhances sleep quality
A proper night’s sleep is essential for our eyes to recover from the day. Partaking in regular exercise is known to improve our quality of sleep tenfold.
Physical Activities That Support Eye Health
Want to know the best exercises you can do to look after your eyesight? Then take a look at our tips below:
- Eye exercises
Eye rolling, shifting focus and eye massages are all beneficial ways in which you can support your vision. Include the 20-20-20 rule for screen time, where every 20 minutes, you take a 20 second break, and focus on something 20 feet away.
- Aerobics
Increase blood circulation and oxygen by completing activities such as walking, swimming, cycling and dancing.
- Pilates
Activities such as Pilates, yoga or stretching reduce tension in our muscles, promote improved posture and this leads to less eye strain and improved vision.
A Holistic Approach to Eye Care
When thinking about fitness in relation to eye care, it’s fundamental to take a holistic approach. Regular exercise improves our blood circulation, reduces stress and diseases, and keeps us feeling fit and healthy. Maintaining adequate eye health supports our overall health and well-being, and therefore, it’s important to mention that being fit and healthy also includes other lifestyle choices such as maintaining a balanced diet and getting enough sleep. By working together, these aspects support optimal eye health in the long term. Additionally, getting regular eye tests in Melbourne is a good practice to ensure that any changes in your vision are detected early and your eye health is properly monitored.
Adopt a Physical Lifestyle to Support Your Long-term Vision
It’s clear that staying physically active not only supports your general well-being, but this also plays a vital role in maintaining good eye health. Integrating exercises to train your vision with regular physical activity and good lifestyle choices can greatly boost your eye health. These elements complement each other, working together to support overall well-being.
There are many exercises you can do that will support the quality of your vision, so find one that works for you and see if you can incorporate this into your everyday routine. Your eyesight will thank you for it!