Dominic Stone
Eye strain is a common issue, with many people spending hours a day looking at screens. This can cause eye muscles to weaken and tire, impacting vision over time. While there is little scientific evidence that eye exercises improve vision, they can help with eye strain and eye health. There are several simple exercises that can be done to strengthen eye muscles and improve overall eye health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To strengthen eye muscles, help with focusing, ease eye movements, and stimulate the brain's vision center |
| When to do them | Every 20 minutes, especially during screen use |
| Who can benefit | People with eye conditions such as strabismus, lazy eye, or refractive errors like myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism |
| Types of exercises | Palming/cupping palms, blinking exercises, pencil push-ups, tracing an imaginary figure eight, rolling eyes, thumb focusing, and vision therapy |
| Other tips | Maintain a safe distance from screens, wear polarized sunglasses to block UV rays, and eat a diet rich in healthy fats and antioxidants |
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What You'll Learn
Eye exercises to improve eyesight
While there is limited scientific evidence to support the claim that eye exercises improve vision, they can help with eye strain and eye comfort, especially if your eyes get irritated at work. They can also help with focusing issues and ensure that both eyes work together effectively.
The 20-20-20 Rule
When you are focused on a task, such as using a computer or reading, remember to take a break every 20 minutes. During the break, focus on an object that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This helps to relax the muscles in your eyes and prevent eye strain.
Blink Break
When we are focused on a screen, we tend to blink less, which can cause our eyes to dry out. To prevent this, remember to blink at a normal rate. You can also try a blinking exercise: close your eyes, pause for two seconds, then open them again. While your eyes are closed, squeeze your eyelids tight to stimulate the oil glands.
Palming
This is a yogic eye exercise that helps to relax the muscles around the eyes and reduce eye fatigue. Rub your hands together to warm them up, then close your eyes and place your palms over your cheekbones. Cup your hands over your eyes and breathe deeply for five minutes.
Pencil Push-Up
Hold a pencil at arm's length and focus on the tip of the eraser. Slowly move the pencil towards your nose, keeping the eraser in focus. Once it becomes blurry, move the pencil back away from your face. Repeat this exercise several times.
Figure Eight
Pick a point on the floor about 10 feet away from you. With your eyes, trace an imaginary figure eight for 30 seconds, then switch directions. This helps to train your eyes to follow moving objects and improve your eye-tracking skills.
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Vision therapy
Other eye exercises that can be done as part of vision therapy include the pencil push-up, where you hold a pencil at arm's length and slowly move it towards your nose while keeping the tip in focus, and then slowly move it back out again. Another exercise involves holding your thumb or a finger a few inches away from your eye, focusing on it, and then slowly moving it away from your face while maintaining focus. This can be repeated a few times, along with shifting your gaze to a target in the distance and then back to your thumb or finger.
While vision therapy and eye exercises can be beneficial for certain conditions and help optimize visual skills, they may not improve vision for people with common eye conditions like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism. Additionally, they may not be effective for more serious eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, or glaucoma. It is important to consult with an eye doctor or optometrist to determine the most appropriate treatment plan for your individual needs.
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Relieving eye strain
Eye strain is a common condition that can cause discomfort, but it is usually not serious. It is often caused by intensely focusing your eyes during tasks such as reading, driving long distances, or using digital devices like computers, tablets, or smartphones. Prolonged exposure to excessive sunlight or bright room lighting can also cause eye strain.
Take Regular Breaks
Following the 20-20-20 rule can help prevent eye strain. This involves taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away. For every 2 hours of screen time, rest your eyes for 15 minutes.
Adjust Lighting and Screen Settings
Reduce the brightness of your screen to match the lighting in your room. Adjust the screen's contrast to avoid straining to see. If there is excessive sunlight, use curtains or blinds to reduce brightness. Avoid sitting under overhead fluorescent lights, and use floor lamps instead.
Maintain a Comfortable Distance and Posture
Keep a safe distance of 18-26 inches between your eyes and the screen. The centre of the screen should be slightly (4-15 degrees) below eye level. Ensure your workstation and chair are at the correct height to maintain good posture.
Eye Exercises
Practise eye exercises to relax and strengthen the eye muscles. This includes "rotational viewing" or "rolling your eyes" gently in one direction and then back again. You can also try "palming your eyes", which involves gently placing your warm palms over your closed eyes for 30-60 seconds. Moving your eyes vertically and horizontally with your eyes closed can also help stretch tired muscles.
Use Eye Drops or Compresses
Lubricating eye drops or artificial tears can help relieve dry eyes caused by eye strain. A warm or cold compress, such as chilled tea bags, can also help soothe and relax the eyes.
If you are experiencing severe or long-term eye strain, it is recommended to consult a medical professional to rule out any underlying conditions.
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Eye-strengthening exercises
Eye exercises are designed to strengthen eye muscles, improve focus, ease eye movements, and stimulate the brain's vision centre. While there is little scientific evidence that eye exercises improve vision, they can help with eye strain and eye alignment and may help your eyes feel better.
The 20-20-20 Rule
For every 20 minutes of near work, look at a target 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This helps to alleviate eye strain and fatigue.
Palming or the 'Blink Break'
Rub your hands together to warm them up. Close your eyes and place your palms over each eye, without applying too much pressure. Breathe deeply for up to five minutes. This helps to relax the muscles around the eyes and reduce eye fatigue.
Figure Eight
Pick a point on the floor about 10 feet in front of you and focus on it. Trace an imaginary figure eight with your eyes for 30 seconds, then switch directions.
Pencil Push-ups
Hold a pencil at arm's length, focusing on the tip. Slowly move the pencil towards your nose, keeping the tip in focus. Once it becomes blurred, move the pencil away from your eyes again. Repeat several times. This helps to train your eyes to converge when looking at a near object.
Thumb Focus
Hold your thumb about 10 inches from your face and focus on it for 15 seconds. Then, shift your gaze to a target 20 feet away, holding your focus for another 15 seconds. Repeat this cycle several times.
The Brock String
Developed by Frederick Brock of Switzerland, this method uses a string with three beads to train the eyes in tracking, alignment, and focusing. To set up, tie a loop on each end of the string and attach one loop to a doorknob. Place the distance bead closest to the doorknob, the middle bead 2-5 feet from you, and the near bead 6 inches from your nose. Hold the string taught directly under your nose. A sequence of exercises can be performed with this setup.
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Lazy eye therapy
Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a common condition that occurs when one eye is weaker than the other, causing reduced vision in that eye. This can lead to poor depth perception and reading difficulties. It is important to start treatment for lazy eye as early as possible, ideally before the age of seven, as this is when the complicated connections between the eye and the brain are forming.
One example of an eye exercise is the 20-20-20 rule, which involves taking a break every 20 minutes to focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This can help to reduce eye strain and fatigue. Another exercise is palming, which involves warming the hands and placing the palms over closed eyes for several minutes to relax the muscles around the eyes.
A more specific exercise for lazy eye is the pencil push-up. This involves holding a pencil at arm's length and focusing on the tip of the eraser. The pencil is then slowly moved towards the nose, and once the eraser goes out of focus, it is drawn away from the eyes again. This exercise helps to train the focusing system to engage and relax appropriately.
In addition to vision therapy, corrective eyewear such as glasses or contact lenses may be prescribed to address the different prescriptions in each eye and strengthen vision in the weaker eye.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several exercises that can help strengthen your eye muscles, including:
- The 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to relieve eye strain.
- Palming: This yogic exercise involves warming your hands by rubbing them together, closing your eyes, and placing your palms over your cheeks. Breathe deeply for five minutes.
- Pencil push-ups: Hold a pencil at arm's length and focus on the tip of the eraser. Slowly move the pencil towards your nose, keeping the eraser in focus. Once it becomes blurry, move it away from your eyes again.
- Figure eight: Trace an imaginary figure eight with your eyes, focusing on a point 10 feet away from you. Continue for 30 seconds, then switch directions.
- Rolling your eyes: Roll your eyes in a circular motion, starting clockwise and then switching to counterclockwise.
If you experience eye strain, fatigue, or soreness, you may benefit from eye muscle-strengthening exercises. This is especially relevant if you spend a lot of time looking at screens, as the increased screen time can lead to dry eyes and decreased blink rate.
While there is limited scientific evidence to support the claim that eye exercises improve vision, they can help with eye comfort and eye strain. Additionally, they can be beneficial for certain conditions, such as strabismus (crossed eyes) and lazy eye.
Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a condition where one eye becomes weaker than the other due to frequent use of the stronger eye. Eye exercises can help stimulate the vision centres in the brain and encourage the weaker eye to work harder, improving its function over time.
Yes, in addition to eye exercises, here are some tips to maintain healthy eye muscles:
- Get comprehensive eye exams regularly, especially if you have risk factors such as diabetes or a family history of eye disease.
- Wear polarized sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays to protect your eyes from harmful UV light.
- Maintain a healthy diet rich in antioxidants and healthy fats, as these nutrients may help keep your eyes healthy.
