6 Eye Exercises for Better Eyesight

Being fit doesn’t only mean having a great body shape and toned muscles. Maintaining a fit lifestyle also includes having a healthy vision that comes with proper diet and daily exercise.

 
Same with the body, what could help in maintaining a good vision is exercising the eyes to strengthen eye muscles, improve eye focus, ease eye movements, and stimulate the brain’s vision center.

 
Eye exercises don’t actually guarantee a cure for eye problems. However, it can be of big help to prevent the worst that could happen to your eyes, as well as maintain your current eyesight level. 

Here are some basic exercises that you could do to improve your vision.

1. Blinking

 
Having dry eyes may lead to blurry vision. But, you can avoid suffering from such by simply lubricating your eyes through blinking.

 
While blinking seems to be as simple as opening and closing your eyes for some time, this exercise actually helps in keeping your eyes fresh and maintaining your eye focus longer.

 
Simply sit comfortably with your eyes open, and blink around 10 times quickly. Afterward, close your eyes, relax for 20 seconds, and observe proper breathing. Repeat this 5 times.

By cupping your hands over your eyes, you’re able to relax it from a long day of watching television or staring at a computer. Just rub the palm of your hands vigorously until it becomes warm, and place it on your eyelids.

 
With the warmth of your palms being transferred onto your eyes and eye muscles while relaxing, your eyes are being soothed.

 
This exercise is suited for people who are farsighted or has aging vision. Just sit comfortably with your arms stretched, and position your thumb in a hitch-hiking or an “okay” position.

 
Focus on your thumb and bring it close to your face for about 3 inches, and then move it away again until your arms are fully stretched. Do this for a few minutes to strengthen your eye focusing skills.

 
This is a great exercise to condition your eyes’ physical movement. Imagine an eight-figure about 10 feet in front of you, and trace it using the eyes slowly for a few minutes.

 
Do it again, but this time, turn the figure to the other side. This could help in increasing your eyes’ flexibility.

This exercise best fits the need to strengthen your eye muscles and improve overall vision. Just place your thumb 10 inches in front of your face, and focus on it for 10-15 seconds.

 
Do it again, but this time, focus on an object 10-20 feet away from you without moving your head. Practice this for about five times.

 
Eye exercises can easily be done by just observing the little things around you, as these objects may help in stimulating eye movement and hand-eye coordination.

 
Do this by looking for bars, a fence, or anything with spaced vertical lines. Focus on a distinct object between the bars or the spaced lines, then relax and transfer body weight from one foot to another. 
Observe proper breathing during this exercise and repeat for 2-3 minutes.

 
For concerns about peripheral vision, repeat the same swaying procedure, but this time, focus on an object close to the ground and use peripheral vision to observe the surroundings.

 
Caring for the eyes is something that people take for granted. Then again, just like any other muscle in the body, the eyes need regular exercises to keep them healthy. So, don’t wait for the need to wear eyeglasses or corrective lenses to be mindful of your eye health. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.
 

Author bio
Ian Capito is the content manager of Vision Express blog, a site that shares tips and latest trends on eyewear and eye health. He has more than 5 years of experience in effective digital services. Ian continues his passion for writing by contributing on the blog.