We know that exercise helps our health in every way, but improving eye health is probably not the most relevant to physical activity attacks. New research reveals some useful new insights in this space, suggesting that regular exercise helps promote hydration and prevent dry, itchy eyes.
This study, led by scientists at the University of Waterloo, Canada, focuses on what is called the tear film. The tear film is a protective layer that prevents dust, dirt, and other irritants from coming into contact with the eyeball. The new coating on this film is layered over the eyes with each blink and serves as an important protective measure against itching, stinging, dry eye and infection.
Heinz Otchere, a PhD candidate in visual science at the University of Waterloo, said: “Instead of using eye drops and other alternative therapies, our study aimed to determine if continued physical activity could be an effective preventative measure against dryness.”
Scientists enlisted 52 participants and divided them into “athlete” or “non-athlete” groups. The former exercised at least five times a week and the non-athlete group at most once. Scientists then performed visual assessments of the eyes both before and 5 minutes after each session.
… our findings show that physical activity can be really important not only for our overall well-being, but also for our eye health.
This revealed that all participants enjoyed tear film formation and improved stability after each exercise session, and physical fitness and exercise time were factors in their response. However, we found that the “athlete” group had “significant improvements” compared to the non-athlete group.
“People can find it difficult to exercise regularly if they are required to work longer and longer in front of the screen,” Otchere said. “But our findings show that physical activity can be really important not only for our overall well-being, but also for our eye health.”
The study was published in the journal Experimental eye study.
Source: University of Waterloo
