How low-intensity workouts improve vision, by scientists

You may have heard that old wives’ tale about how eating carrots will help you to see in the dark.But now scientists claim that something else, which is equally as important as a healthy diet, can boost your vision.

Not only will exercising help to get your summer body in shape – it will strengthen your eyesight, a study shows. Physical activity requiring little effort, such as walking, boosts brain cells responsible for processing visual information.

However, the same benefits can’t be seen from more vigorous forms of exercise, such as running, cycling or swimming. A team of United States (US) researchers investigated how exercise affected the brain by strapping heart rate monitors to 18 participants. They then were asked to complete an orientation task while on a stationary bicycle, Futurity reports.

This was then repeated during low and high-intensity exercise and while at rest, the study published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience shows. Information was then fed into a computer for the University of California, Santa Barbara researchers to assess. They found low-intensity exercise helped activate the visual cortex, which plays a role in processing things the eyes see.