Your children can’t do these sports!

Many outstanding athletes once again demonstrated the unique charm of sports through the Olympics.

It is said that regular exercise can be beneficial to eye health. So, are all sports suitable for myopic children?

What other exercises are more helpful for the eyes?

Today's Science Expert

Children with severe myopia are not suitable for these sports

People with high myopia, with a myopia degree of 600 degrees or above, should avoid participating in strenuous sports such as diving, high jump, 100-meter sprint and other sports.

Because people with severe myopia generally have longer eye axes and thinner retinas, these strenuous exercises may aggravate the traction of the vitreous body on the retina, and may even cause retinal tears or retinal detachment.

Can exercise cure myopia?

The answer is: No!

The currently generally accepted view is that outdoor activities are an effective way to prevent or delay myopia.

Outdoor activities here refer to activities in places with natural light, because natural light can prompt the human body to release dopamine to slow down the growth rate of the eye axis.

Therefore, if you want to prevent and delay the development of myopia in your child, you should choose to do activities outdoors.

However, although there is currently no scientific evidence to prove that exercise can slow the progression of myopia, many exercises are indeed very useful for relieving eye fatigue.

Sports suitable for myopia

0 1Ball Sports

When playing ball sports, tracking moving objects can exercise the lens and pupil and maintain eye function; tracking high-speed moving objects can exercise eye muscles and improve eye reaction ability.

For children and teenagers, moving the eyes up and down, left and right, far and near constantly with the ball as the target can improve concentration, the elasticity and vitality of the ciliary muscles, and thus promote the relief and recovery of eye fatigue.

Ball sports such as table tennis , basketball, football, badminton, volleyball, etc. can help enhance children's eye adjustment ability.

0 2 Outdoor aerobics

Doing aerobic exercises such as mountain climbing, hiking, jogging and cycling at the right time and under the premise of taking good sun protection measures can extend your vision, naturally adjust the eye muscles, help the eyes relax and rest, and improve eye microcirculation. Good blood flow can provide the eyes with the oxygen and nutrients they need, help remove metabolic waste, and protect the health of the eyes.

Will I not become myopic as long as I exercise enough?

Outdoor sports can certainly promote blood circulation in the eyes and are good for eye health. However, the formation of myopia is not caused by a single factor, but is affected by multiple factors such as genetics and eye habits.

Therefore, in addition to outdoor activities, we should also pay attention to other aspects of eye protection. For example, avoid using your eyes for a long time at close range, maintain a correct reading and writing posture, avoid using your eyes in an environment with insufficient or too strong light, and ensure adequate sleep to relieve eye fatigue.

Four things to do to protect your eyesight

0 1 Reading and writing posture should remember the "three 1" principle

Sit upright when reading and writing, with the book one foot away from your eyes, the tip of the pen one inch away from your fingers, and your chest one fist away from the table.

0 2 Adhere to the "20-20-20" principle

After using your eyes for 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for at least 20 seconds.

In general, experts recommend taking a 5-10 minute break after 30 minutes of using your eyes, looking out the window to see the buildings, trees, etc. outside.

0 3 Ensure 2 hours of outdoor activities every day

Outdoor activities are the simplest and most direct way to prevent myopia.

Maintaining outdoor activities for more than 2 hours a day and getting more exposure to sunlight can promote the secretion of dopamine and inhibit the growth of sclera, thereby achieving the goal of controlling the development of myopia.

0 4 Check your eyesight regularly

Establish a refractive development file for your child, track visual development with data, take preventive measures in advance, and take timely intervention measures once abnormalities are found.

The Department of Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology at Wuhan University Aier Eye Hospital reminds: The key to outdoor activities is sufficient light. As long as there is sufficient light, a wide field of vision, and an effective duration (at least 2 hours a day), it is beneficial to the "prevention" and "control" of myopia. Therefore, in addition to the above sports, walking, skateboarding, surfing, archery and other activities can achieve good results.