Vigorous activity can protect you from the two leading sight stealers that occur over time: cataracts and macular degeneration. (How healthy are your eyes? Find out by visiting the RealAge Eye Health Center.)
If you run a little over a mile a day (that’s about 2,000 of the 10,000 steps you’re taking daily anyway, right?), you reduce your chances of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by an impressive 36%. (Do you know what eye tests you need to stay healthy? Find out!)
Bump that up to 5 miles a day (you’ve taken care of your 10,000 steps right there!) and you cut your AMD risk by 54%. Push just a little farther, to 5½ miles, and you cut your risk of cataracts more. Just don’t start exercising this vigorously overnight; begin slowly, and build up. (Foods can help make your eyes healthy, too. Check out these recipes.)
Not a runner? No worries. Any workout that pumps up your cardio fitness protects your sight — rowing, biking, swimming, lifting weights.
