5 Easy Eye Exercises to Keep Your Vision in Good Shape | Eye Health

5 Easy Eye Exercises You Can Do Every Day

Posted Jan 14, 2021 | Eye Health

Quick! What's the strongest and fastest muscle in the human body?
No, it's not your legs. It's your eyes^1,2. In simple terms, six eye muscles are constantly moving to readjust your eyeball so you can see. In just one hour of reading, the eye makes almost 10,000 coordinated movements². So, it's no surprise they need some rest.

And just like every other muscle in the body, it’s important to keep the eye muscles strong. We've put together a list to help keep those muscles rested and powerful enough to move mountains, or more realistically, to blink.

1. Warm Up Your Eyes

Trust us on this. Rub your hands together until they are warm and place them over your eyes, blocking out all light. Think about a relaxing place like an exotic beach or a stunning mountain until you see nothing but blackness. Doing this reduces the stimuli to your eyes and brain, giving them a chance to relax.

2. Improve Your Focus, Near and Far

Facing a blank wall, hold your thumb at arm's length and focus on it for 10-15 seconds. Then focus on an object 20 feet away for 10-15 seconds. This exercise will preserve your current vision level.

3. Roll Your Eyes

Slowly roll your eyes counter-clockwise and clockwise. It's best to do this exercise when you aren't looking at a person (wink).

4. Make a Figure Eight

Trace a giant figure eight on the floor about 12 feet in front of you. This exercise helps with eye control.

5. Follow the 20/20/20 Rule

If you’re reading this right now, chances are you spend a lot of time in front of a screen. Whether you’re working, watching TV, or peeping the Eyeconic Instagram account, all of this screen time can cause some digital eye strain.

You can relieve this discomfort by looking at something 20 feet from the screen for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.

Note: If you're experiencing blurry or double vision, more headaches than usual, or it's been more than a year since your last eye appointment, visit your optometrist. Don't have one? We can help you find an eye doctor.

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