The more scientists investigate the effects of exercise, the more reasons they find for why we all need to be as fit as possible.
A recent study has found that it protects our eyesight.
In a recent study, reported in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers reported that moderate aerobic exercise helps to preserve the structure and function of nerve cells in the retina after damage.
The findings suggest exercise may be able to slow the progression of retinal degenerative diseases.
Age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly, is caused by the death of light-sensing nerve cells in the retina called photoreceptors. Although several studies in animals and humans point to the protective effects of exercise in neurodegenerative diseases or injury, less is known about how exercise affects vision.
The scientists ran mice on a treadmill for two weeks before and after exposing them to bright light that causes degeneration of the retina. They found that exercise training preserved photoreceptors and retinal cell function in the mice.
This is the first report of simple exercise having a direct effect on retinal health and vision.
In the current study, the scientists trained mice to run on a treadmill for one hour per day, five days per week, for two weeks before and after exposing them to damaging light. The exercised mice lost only half the number of photoreceptor cells as animals that spent the equivalent amount of time on a stationary treadmill.
Additionally, the retinal cells of exercised mice were more responsive to light and had higher levels of a growth- and health-promoting protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which previous studies have linked to the beneficial effects of exercise.
People who are at risk of macular degeneration or have early signs of the disease may be able to slow down the progression of visual impairment" she added.
If you have a family history of macular degeneration, or you just want to do everything you can to preserve your eyes as you get older, get moving and get fit.
Article Author: David Beard, Calico's Exercise Physiologist & Healthy Aging Expert