Exercise interventions may improve visual function and slow the structural progression of myopia in children and adolescents, although intervention characteristics appeared to influence treatment effects, researchers noted in a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 randomized controlled trials.

They evaluated exercise interventions—including ball sports, mind-body exercises, visual training, and outdoor activities—compared with control interventions. Functional outcomes included dynamic and static visual acuity, while structural outcomes included refractive error and axial length.

Across the pooled analysis, exercise was associated with moderate improvements in both dynamic and static visual acuity, a modest improvement in refractive error, and reduced axial length elongation. Among the structural outcomes, axial length demonstrated low heterogeneity, which indicated consistent effects across the studies.

Greater improvements in dynamic visual acuity were observed among students in grades 1 through 3 with vision training interventions, programs delivered 4 to 6 times weekly, intervention durations of 120 to 300 minutes per week, and interventions conducted in combined indoor-outdoor settings. Static visual acuity improvements were greater with ball sports and mind-body exercises, intervention frequencies of 1 to 3 sessions weekly, and intervention durations of 120 to 300 minutes per week.

"[E]xercise interventions represent a promising adjunctive strategy for the comprehensive prevention and management of myopia in children and adolescents," wrote lead study author Jiacheng Ren, of the School of Sports Training at Wuhan Sports University in China, and colleagues. However, further studies are needed to determine the optimal exercise strategies and to clarify their long-term effects on structural myopia progression.

For a full summary of the analysis and a link to the original study, click here.