Do you take your eye health and vision for granted? Most of us do to some extent, not really realizing how much we rely on our eyesight until we experience a problem that affects our ability to see clearly. However, eye health is just as important as your general health and wellbeing and we should ensure that making time to take care of our eyes is just as much of a priority as eating right or exercising regularly. It may surprise you to learn that it isn’t just our body that can benefit from frequent exercise. Our eyes have muscles that serve them too, and these can become stiff and sore if we don’t use them enough. Fortunately, there are exercises that can ensure that we can use our eyes comfortably. In the process, we can potentially increase our productivity, eliminate any headaches that we have been experiencing and keep our vision clear and our eyes healthy.

Here are some of the best eye exercises that you can do to improve your eyesight and boost the overall health and condition of your eyes.

Blinking

It may seem really obvious, but blinking is the most simple and effective way to keep your eyes feeling fresh, alert and able to focus. Unfortunately, many of us spend a great deal of time looking at digital devices which naturally cause us to blink less often than we should. This can contribute towards ocular conditions such as dry eye syndrome, computer vision syndrome and eye strain/fatigue. When you blink, your eyes quickly reset themselves so that they are ready to accept new information. To carry out blinking exercises, blink 10-15 times in rapid succession, then close your eyes gently for 30 seconds before repeating.

Zooming

Zooming is an effective eye focusing exercise that forces you to adjust the length of your focus, thus strengthening your eye muscles. Sit in a chair with your arm outstretched and your thumb pointing upwards. Then, bend your arm gradually and draw it closer to your eyes. This will trigger your eyes to adjust to keep it in focus. You can repeat this exercise several times, but don’t overdo it or you could cause your eyes to ache.

Infinity Looping

This exercise is designed to increase your eyes’ flexibility and is particularly helpful for people who suffer from myopia or astigmatism. As you might expect, it involves moving your eyes in a pattern that ‘traces’ an infinity symbol, which is a figure eight laying on its side. Imagine a giant infinity symbol on the wall in front of you. Using only your eyes, trace the design very slowly, feeling your eye muscles move as you do. Repeat up to 5 times. Then relax your eyes for a minute and repeat, but tracing it the other way so that your eyes make the opposite movements.

Palming

Palming is exceptionally good for helping to relieve eye stress and strain. Ideally, you should sit at a table or desk with your elbows resting on it and your two hands placed so that the cup of your palm covers your eyes. Your fingers should be resting against your forehead, and the heel of your hand on your cheekbones. Keep your eyes open and make sure you can blink comfortably. Sit like this for a few minutes so that your eyes can relax and unfocus.

Eye Rolling

Eye rolling is something that many of us do instinctively if we feel dissatisfied. However, it is also a great exercise for your eyes as it thoroughly stretches them – something which can help counteract presbyopia, which is a condition where the eyes become less flexible with age and vision is compromised. When you roll your eyes, do it clockwise very slowly. Then repeat going the same way but holding your gaze for a few seconds in each of the north, east, south and west position. Then repeat both steps going counterclockwise.

These are five of the most effective exercises that you can do to improve your vision and eye health. For more advice and support with these exercises, get in touch with our eye care experts who will be delighted to assist you.