The length of time you take your child outdoors can affect the health of their eyes. So, it was found that a small amount of time spent with a child on the street can lead to the development of myopia (myopia). Accordingly, an increase in the duration of walks in nature can be considered as an effective prevention of visual impairment in a child.

An analysis of several studies organized by experts from the University of Cambridge showed that every additional hour of outdoor exercise per week reduces the risk of developing childhood myopia by about two percent. 

More than ten thousand children and adolescents took part in the study. As part of the study, experts compared how much time each child spends in the fresh air, and what his eyesight is at the moment. It found that children who began to develop myopia spent on average four hours less time outdoors than those who did not suffer from any visual impairment.

Initially, the authors of the study assumed that the positive effect of being in the fresh air is due to the fact that the child simply does not have time for computer games or for any other activities that can spoil his eyesight. However, this relationship was found in only two of the nine research papers.

According to experts, the positive effect is explained by the influence of natural light on the child’s body and the ability to constantly train vision during a walk – to look at distant objects. Among other things, walking in the fresh air promotes the production of vitamin D in the body, which also has a positive effect on vision.