Maintain Your Eye Health by Exercising Regularly

  Last Updated on March 21, 2025 by Aaron Barriga

It’s no secret that exercising is the best way to get in shape and stay fit. It keeps you healthy and helps you avoid serious health conditions. But, did you know that exercising is also extremely beneficial for your eye health?

This is because the act of exercising releases hormones and anti-oxidants that are known to combat the effects of cell damage in the body, which also includes your eyes.

How Physical Exercise Can Help You?

Researchers have also conducted numerous studies on the matter and have found a strong correlation between exercising and good eye health. When our body is undergoing physical stress in the form of a workout, it stimulates our endocrine system, which releases chemicals and hormones that control the various cellular functions of the body.

The hormones released while working out are known to control several physiological reactions in the body. These hormones allow you to build new muscle and tissue while helping you burn fat. They also play a large role in facilitating the following bodily functions:

• Tissue growth and regeneration
• Hydration levels
• Synthesis and degradation of muscle protein
• Energy generation
• Metabolism levels

The endocrine glands also produce many antioxidants that help fight the effect of free radicals in your body as well as your eyes. Free radicals in the eyes are known to cause several eye diseases, listed as follows:

1. Cataract
2. Glaucoma
3. AMD or Age-Related Macular Degeneration
4. Diabetic Retinopathy
5. Dry Eye
6. Low Vision

If you are suffering from any of the eye diseases mentioned above or are looking to reduce the chances of their occurrence altogether, cardiovascular exercises are the way to go. Exercises such as Aerobics, Zumba, jogging, or even brisk walking will help lower the pressure in your eyes, otherwise known as help intraocular pressure.

The hormones and anti-oxidants that are released post-workout also help keep the retinal ganglion cells protected by fighting free radicals in the eye. Cardio exercises are especially beneficial as they help increase the flow of blood to the optic nerve and the retina.

While vision-related problems cannot be fixed completely, exercising helps enhance overall eye health while protecting it from free radical damage and reducing its long-term effects.