Outside play helps protect eyesight

Did you know that encouraging your child to play and exercise outside regularly can significantly reduce the risk of them becoming short-sighted?

Not only does spending time outdoors have significant health benefits, it can even help to slow down myopia progression in children.

What is Myopia?

Myopia, more commonly known as short-sightedness, is a refractive error that affects millions of children and adults worldwide. This distance vision problem generally develops during childhood, as the eyes are still growing, and occurs when the eyes grow too long from front to back (axial length).

Research has shown that in countries where outdoor time makes up a significant part of daily life, there are fewer children wearing glasses. On the flip side, an increase in spectacle wearers is observed in places where indoor study and recreation dominate. For instance, only 14% of Australian children aged 8-12 wear glasses compared to a staggering 60% in Singapore.

So, how much outdoor time is ideal?

Experts recommend around two hours of outdoor play each day to help safeguard your child's vision and delay or prevent Myopia. The type of outdoor activity doesn’t really matter, the key factor is the brightness of light which promotes healthy eye development by regulating the proper growth rate. Sun protection is still essential, including wearing a hat, sunglasses, and seeking shade. Even with these precautions, the intensity of natural outdoor light remains sufficient to provide positive effects on eye health.

At Blink, we care about your child's eye health. Visit us to explore our range of eyewear options that can complement their active lifestyle while protecting their precious eyes.