What Kind of Exercise?

Exercise or physical activity is anything that gets you moving. There are different kinds of exercise- aerobic, anaerobic and agility.

Eyeballs are held in their sockets by a set of six muscles attached to the eyeball and anchored to the skull. These muscles don’t bulk up like your arms or legs so there is no need to perform anaerobic (muscle strengthening) or agility exercises for your eyes.

Aerobic exercise is what we’re interested in for eye health. Aerobic exercise increases your body’s consumption of oxygen. The idea is to sustain activity so your heart rate increases and stays steady for at least 20 minutes. Aerobic exercise leads to good blood circulation and oxygen in-take. It also helps keep your weight in the normal range which reduces the risk of diabetes and its effect on the eyes called diabetic retinopathy. Good aerobic exercise includes swimming, biking, hockey, basketball, running or skating.