Five Fast and Easy Eye Exercises That Can Improve Your Vision
Although many people believe their eyes will naturally get worse, the truth is - they don’t have to.
You have muscles in your eyes just like in the rest of your body. When your eye muscles get weak due to overuse, you cannot see as clearly. If you exercise your eyes on a regular basis, you can keep your eyes strong and healthy.
Many people find that they can keep their vision strong longer than those who do not exercise their eyes regularly. We’ve found five amazing simple exercises to improve your vision!
How Do Eye Exercises Improve Your Vision?
Studies show that our modern use of technology causes eye strain. Most of us use a computer, smartphone, or watch a lot of TV. As a result, more and more people are having vision problems and wearing contact lenses and glasses.
But you don’t have to suffer further vision loss. Use the eye exercises listed below to create healthier eye muscles and reduce eye strain.
Exercising your eyes is just like exercising your arms and legs. Your muscles will get stronger, you’ll have more stamina, and you’ll be less likely to develop further vision impairment due to eye strain.
Here Are Five Fast and Easy Eye Exercises You Can Do Every Day in Your Own Home:
1. Blinking
Did you know that something as easy as blinking can help you see better? This is because blinking helps your eyes stay moist, allowing you to focus longer.
The problem is that when people work with digital devices, they do not blink as much. Consequently, this leads to eye strain and poor vision.
Why does blinking help your eyes? Think of your eyelids as the windshield wipers of your eyes! Each time you shut your eyes, the Meibomian glands produce moisture to cleanse your eyes. Blinking helps your eyes feel refreshed ready to focus again. Because of these factors, this exercise helps decrease eye strain.
Here’s how to perform the blinking exercise:
- Set a timer for two minutes
- Blink every four seconds
Once you’ve completed this exercise, you will find that your eyes feel less tired and strained.
2. Palming
This simple exercise can help relieve eye strain and stress. The best time to do this exercise is when your eyes need relaxing. Therefore, many people use palming during breaks from their computers or televisions.
The instructions for palming are easy:
- Get comfortable leaning forward onto your desk or a table. If you don’t have a hard surface, place your elbows on your knees and lean forward.
- Close your eyes.
- Place your hands over your eyes. The position of your hands is important: the center of your palm should cover your eyes; your fingertips should be on your forehead; the base of your palm will rest on your cheekbone.
- Do not put pressure on your eyes. You should be able to blink easily.
- Sit this way for two to three minutes.
- Repeat this exercise three times a day when working with digital devices.
The reason this eye exercise works is because the pressure of your hands around your eyes helps to relieve muscle strain.
3. Figure 8
This next exercise helps your eyes become stronger and more flexible.
Here’s what you need to do to perform the figure 8 exercise:
- Look about ten feet in front of your eyes.
- Imagine the number eight laying on its side.
- Move your eyes slowly around this reclining figure 8 for two minutes.
- Finally, trace the figure eight in reverse for two minutes.
4. Change of Focus
This simple exercise requires that you change your focus from near objects to far objects. Because it’s so easy, this exercise can be done anywhere.
You can do this exercise sitting or standing. Here’s how to get started with the focus exercise:
- First of all, hold your thumb up in front of your eyes. Your thumb should be about 10 inches away.
- Focus on your thumb for three to five seconds.
- Change your focus to something 15 to 20 feet away for three to five seconds.
- As you change your focus, be sure to breathe deeply.
- Finally, go back and forth from your thumb and the far object for two minutes.
Forcing your eyes to change focus helps to strengthen your eye muscles. Strong eye muscles improve vision!
5. Zooming
Another great eye exercise that strengthens your eyes and increases your ability to focus is zooming.
Follow these simple eye-zooming instructions:
- Sit comfortably in a chair.
- Hold your thumb out like you are going to hitchhike.
- Bring your thumb closer to your eye, maintaining a focus on the thumb.
- Continue moving the thumb toward your eye until it is three inches away.
- Stretch your arm again, moving your thumb away from your eye.
- Keep focusing on your thumb the whole time.
- Do this for two to five minutes.
- Repeat three to five times a day.
So don’t let digital devices harm your vision. Instead, use these five fast and easy eye exercises to strengthen your eyes and keep vision problems at bay. Even those already wearing glasses or contacts can strengthen their eyes and keep their vision from getting worse by exercising their eyes regularly.