{"id":9266,"date":"2021-01-04T12:03:50","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T12:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=9266"},"modified":"2021-07-25T08:37:57","modified_gmt":"2021-07-25T08:37:57","slug":"the-benefits-of-outdoor-play-for-children-with-myopia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-pediatric-eye-conditions\/what-is-myopia\/the-benefits-of-outdoor-play-for-children-with-myopia\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children with Myopia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not only does spending time outdoors have significant health benefits, it can even help to slow down myopia progression in children.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Myopia<\/a>, more commonly known as nearsightedness, 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).<\/p>\n

Myopia causes the light that enters the eye to be focused in front of the retina<\/a><\/i>, rather than directly on the retina<\/i>\u2014 and results in blurred distance vision.<\/p>\n

Myopia can be inherited, or can be caused by certain lifestyle habits, such as prolonged screen time and other near vision tasks.<\/p>\n

With increasing indoor \u201cplay\u201d such as video games and watching television, the amount of time children spend outdoors has significantly decreased.<\/p>\n

Studies show that children who spend just one hour outdoors each day can reduce their risk of developing myopia by over 14 percent.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Being outdoors and focusing on objects in the distance gives your eye muscles a chance to relax\u2014 especially after hours of staring at the screen or learning in the classroom.<\/p>\n

Similar to the other muscles in the body that need to relax after periods of strengthening or constant use, the eye muscles need to relax as well.<\/p>\n

Eye doctors recommend spending between 60 and 80 minutes outdoors everyday to promote eye health and reduce the risk of myopia development.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

If your child’s myopia is worsening, contact an eye doctor<\/a> near you who can diagnose and treat with a program of Myopia Management<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

SEE RELATED: <\/strong>Should I Be Worried About Myopia?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t

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Find an eye doctor for children near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t
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