Peeper pleaser
I've got my drum out, and I'm ready to beat on it: Get active. Don't hesitate, pause, or take time to mull it over. Like that famous sneaker advertisement, you need to just do it. Do you need yet another reason? I hope so, because I came prepared to give you one. Okay, here goes: If you don't exercise, you could go blind.
And before you start thinking I'm just pulling your leg, hear me out. You've heard of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), right? It's a disease that doesn't mind disabling your eyesight for you, being a leading cause of blindness. One form of the condition is known as exudative AMD, in which there is a growth of abnormal blood vessels behind the eye, which bleed, and eventually scar.
A team of researchers tracked 4,000 men and women over the course of 15 years, with the initial starting age range being between 43 and 86. The participants were asked how much exercise they did, and about 25 percent were active. What this particular study found was that though AMD is linked to aging, exercise such as walking or climbing stairs has a protective effect that can guard against it. In fact, creating an active lifestyle reduced the risk of developing exudative AMD over the course of 15 years by 70 percent, and by walking more, reduced the risk by 30 percent. Even when other risk factors were taken into account-like whether or not the participants were smokers, their weight, their blood pressure-the effects were still there. A brisk 30-45 minute walk a day is safe, cheap and will also help reduce risk of other major health problems such as heart disease and dementia.
