Current Topics in Eye Care - Lifting weights incorrectly can cause serious eye damage.

Lifting weights incorrectly can cause serious eye damage.

When weightlifters hold their breath during exercise, they create excess pressure in their eyes, which can lead to loss of vision, say researchers from the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. In a study, Dr. Robert Ritch, professor of clinical ophthalmology, looked at 30 men between the ages of 18 and 40 who performed standard bench press exercises. For the first series of bench presses, the participants were asked to hold their breath during the “press,” and for the second set, they were told to breathe normally. Doctors measured the internal pressure of the eye during each set of bench presses and found that while holding their breath, eye pressure increased in 27 of the participants, while the 18 who were allowed to breathe normally had no pressure increase. This pressure increase is potentially dangerous as it can cause glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. Ritch recommends that weight lifters exhale as they press up with their weights, this will help to lower the pressure in their eyes.

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