In a digital age where sitting in front of screens is part of our everyday lives, maintaining good eye health is crucial.
One of the ways we can preserve optimal vision is through eye exercises.
Unlike optometric vision therapy, eye exercises enhance accuracy and letter recognition but not reaction time. They also do not cure astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia, and other eye conditions.
Instead, they work to optimise our visual system – reduce eye strain, ease eye movements, strengthen eye muscles, and even address eye movement disorders, helping improve focus and enhance cognitive performance.
So, if you’re looking for eye exercises to improve your eye health, here are simple ones to try today!
5 simple eye exercises for healthy eyes
Palming Exercise
Palming is a yogic relaxation technique that helps reduce eye fatigue and relax the muscles around the eyes.
To begin, sit comfortably and rub your palms together vigorously until they feel warm.
Close your eyes and place your warm palms gently over them, avoiding pressure on the eyeballs. Relax, breathe deeply, and empty your thoughts while covering your eyes.
Repeat the exercise for several minutes to allow your eyes to rest and rejuvenate.
Near and Far Focus Exercise
This exercise helps improve the flexibility of the eye muscles and enhances the ability to shift focus between near and distant objects.
Start by choosing a distant object (such as a tree or building) and focus on it briefly. Then, shift your gaze to a closer object (e.g. your finger held at arm’s length) and focus on it for a few seconds.
Repeat this process by alternating your focus between distant and near objects. Continue the near-far focus exercise for several minutes, gradually increasing the speed and distance of the objects.
If you are wearing glasses or contact lenses, remember to remove them before practising!
Figure Eight (8) Eye Exercise
The figure 8 exercise promotes eye coordination, flexibility, and peripheral vision. It involves tracing the shape of figure 8 (infinity symbol) with your eyes.
Imagine an imaginary figure 8 (infinity symbol) placed horizontally before you. Trace the figure 8 shape with your eyes, following the path smoothly and without moving your head. Perform the exercise in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
As your eye muscles become more comfortable with the movement, you can slowly increase the size and speed of figure 8.
Blinking Exercise
Blinking is a simple yet effective exercise to reduce digital eye strain, moisturise, and refresh your eyes.
Start a blinking exercise with your facial muscles and shoulders relaxed. Then, looking straight ahead, slowly blink your eyes ten times, paying attention to a full, complete blink with each repetition. After the first ten blinks, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax.
Repeat this exercise several times throughout the day to keep your eyes adequately lubricated and prevent dryness!
This exercise is particularly helpful for those who spend most of their time in front of a computer screen because their blink rates slow down considerably, causing their eyes to dry out.
Focus Change Exercise
This exercise is ideal for people with lazy eye as it promotes better eye coordination.
Before you begin, choose two objects of different sizes and place them at varying distances from you.
Start the exercise by focusing on the closer object for a few seconds, and then quickly shift your vision to the farther object. Maintain a clear focus on the distant object for a few seconds before shifting back to the closer object.
Repeat this focus-shifting exercise multiple times, increasing the speed and distance between objects.
Still experiencing vision problems? Don't hesitate to seek the advice of a professional eye doctor today!
Helpful as they are, you may need professional help if your symptoms persist.
Our eye health specialists at Eye Braces Clinic have the training and experience to see beyond your poor vision.
Whether you already wear glasses and would like to explore other eye devices or are looking for more effective ways to manage your condition, we can help!
We offer a range of eye care services, from comprehensive eye examinations to corrective specialty lenses, to help you improve your vision.
Book a consultation via WhatsApp @ +65 8299 2413 today!