Eye exercises have built a loyal following over the years. You may have heard that they can sharpen your eyesight, or that glasses make your eyes weaker the longer you wear them. Most of this advice comes from a good place, though a lot of it doesn’t hold up.
Clear vision depends on 2 things: how your eye focuses light and how your eye muscles work together. Eye exercises can help with coordination and focus, but they can’t change your prescription or correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Those conditions come from the shape of your eye, which your optometrist can measure during a comprehensive eye exam.
Eye Conditions That Exercises Can Help
Some vision problems come down to how well your eyes and brain work together. That’s where targeted exercises can help. Convergence insufficiency happens when your eyes have trouble turning inward together to focus on something close, like a book or phone. It can cause double vision or headaches when you read. Since people with this condition can still pass a standard letter-chart test, it often goes undiagnosed.
Treatment often includes at-home exercises like pencil push-ups or in-office vision therapy. Your optometrist can help to diagnose these conditions and offer the appropriate treatment options for you.
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, develops in childhood when one eye and the brain don’t build a strong connection. Treatment options focus on improving vision in the “lazy eye” and helping the eyes work well together. Treatment tends to work best when it starts early, which is why it is recommended that children come in yearly for their eye exams.
Digital eye strain is something almost everyone deals with now. When you look at a screen up close, the muscles inside your eyes work harder to keep things in focus, and they can tire out over a long day. You also blink less. Most people blink about 17 times a minute, but that number can fall to around 4 when they concentrate on reading. Fewer blinks mean fewer tears, which can leave your eyes dry and tired by the afternoon.
What Eye Exercises Won’t Fix
Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are refractive errors. Light doesn’t focus properly on your retina because of the length or curve of your eye. To correct them, your optometrist may recommend glasses, contact lenses, or a laser eye surgery consultation.
Presbyopia is another change that exercise can’t prevent. As you age, the lens inside your eye loses its flexibility, so focusing on things up close gets harder. Most people start to notice it between 40 and 45, often when they find themselves holding their phone at arm’s length.
Reading glasses, progressive lenses, or multifocal contacts can help you see up close again. Contrary to what some people may believe, glasses don’t make your eyesight worse.
Simple Eye Exercises Worth Trying at Home
For Screen Fatigue
If your eyes feel tired and dry by mid-afternoon, start with your screen habits. Try a few of these while you work:
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away (about 6 metres) for 20 seconds.
- Blink on purpose: Every so often, close your eyes slowly and fully to spread moisture across their surface.
- Move your monitor: Check how far you sit from your screen and aim to keep it a little below eye level.
- Adjust your display: Bump up the font size and set the brightness and contrast to whatever feels comfortable.
For Eye Coordination and Focus
If you experience difficulty focusing on close-up tasks, eye strain, or problems with eye coordination, an optometrist can assess your symptoms and determine whether treatment is needed.
Treatment will depend on the underlying cause and your individual needs. Your optometrist can recommend an appropriate management plan, which may include specific eye exercises or other treatment where indicated.
If you experience persistent discomfort, headaches, or difficulty with visual tasks, seek professional advice rather than attempting exercises without guidance.
Signs Your Eyes Need More Than Exercises
Some symptoms point to a problem that exercises can’t solve on their own. Book an exam if you notice any of these:
- Blurry vision at a distance
- Blurry vision when you read up close
- Frequent headaches after reading or screen use
- Skipping lines while reading
- Eye discomfort that doesn’t ease after a break
These symptoms can point to an outdated prescription or dry eye disease, which happens when your eyes don’t make enough tears or the right kind of tears. Don’t brush them off as tiredness.
How Your Optometrist Can Help with Your Vision
A comprehensive eye exam goes well beyond reading letters off a chart. We check how your eyes focus, move, and work together, and we track prescription changes from one visit to the next.
How often you need an exam depends on your age. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends a yearly exam for kids and adults 65 and older, and an exam at least every 2 years for adults between 20 and 64.
Pair Your Eye Exercises with Regular Eye Exams
Eye exercises can be a helpful part of your routine, especially if you spend long days on a screen. An exam helps you find out what else might be affecting your vision so you can choose the right care.
If it’s been a while since your last visit, or any of the signs above sound familiar, book an appointment with our team at Brighton Eyecare. We’re happy to talk through your symptoms and help you find what works for your eyes.
