My background is graphic design so I’ve spent many a year in front of a computer screen. I recently had an eye test for two reasons. One, to support my little boy with his eye test and two, my eyes were starting to feel tired on an evening.

The results came in and they were as expected, I needed glasses for looking at finer detail stuff. It was actually amazing because my glasses gave everything an outline. I probably don’t wear them as much as I should though – says Paul, putting on his glasses right now, haha!

It got me thinking about eye health and are there things we can do to help improve them? I came across some really interesting facts from Vision Direct and what effect exercise has on your eyes. Take these steps now to improve your eye health.

Your eyes actually receive the same benefit that the rest of your body does when you exercise. I’m currently working with HEART UK to promote National Cholesterol Month and having high cholesterol levels is one of the things eye disease is linked to. Having diabetes and high blood pressure are other health problems linked to eye disease and exercise limits these problems from happening.

Exercise doesn’t have to mean running or lifting weights though. Moderate physical exercise like walking, is great for eye health too. If you walk three times a week, this has been known to lower your intraocular pressure (IOP) and improve blood flow to the retina and optic nerve. So you don’t have to run a marathon to see the benefits. You can walk, climb stairs or dance to improve your eye health.

Something else to consider is what role nutrition plays in your eye health. For example, vitamin C may play a role in preventing or alleviating glaucoma. Omega-3 also helps alleviating symptoms of dry eye syndrome. A healthy diet for your eyes should include plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. Here’s a list…

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Salmon, mackerel and herring, freshly ground flaxseeds and walnuts
• Vitamin A – Beef, chicken liver, eggs, butter and milk
• Vitamin C – Sweet peppers (red or green), kale, strawberries, broccoli, oranges and cantaloupe
• Vitamin D – Salmon, sardines, mackerel, milk and orange juice (fortified with vitamin D)
• Vitamin E – Almonds, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts

So with the combination of the right nutrition and exercise, you can help improve your eye health as well as your general health.

Have you ever thought about what exercise and nutrition does for your eyes?