Do Your Eyes Need Exercise?
Exercise is one of the first things the comes to mind when we think about healthy lifestyles, but have you ever thought about the importance of exercising your eyes?
Luckily, there are specific fitness exercises designed to improve eye-sight longevity.
As we age, our eyesight changes – usually for the worse. Many people experience a loss in distance or close-up vision, and extra strain can cause blurry vision too. The eye’s lens – made of protein and water – becomes stiffer with age, making it harder for us to focus. When we’re young, it changes shape to accommodate near or far points of focus, but that becomes more difficult as we age. In spite of attempts to correct and prevent these changes with glasses or contact lenses, our eyes continue to fall into poor habits and the strain on our eyes increases with time. While modern technology has improved the tools we can use to improve poor vision, we may also be able to improve our vision naturally with eye exercises.
Luckily, there are specific fitness exercises designed to improve eye-sight longevity.
As we age, our eyesight changes – usually for the worse. Many people experience a loss in distance or close-up vision, and extra strain can cause blurry vision too. The eye’s lens – made of protein and water – becomes stiffer with age, making it harder for us to focus. When we’re young, it changes shape to accommodate near or far points of focus, but that becomes more difficult as we age. In spite of attempts to correct and prevent these changes with glasses or contact lenses, our eyes continue to fall into poor habits and the strain on our eyes increases with time. While modern technology has improved the tools we can use to improve poor vision, we may also be able to improve our vision naturally with eye exercises.
Chances are you or someone you know has experienced age-related eye impairment. Here's some inspiration: Edye's father needed glasses in his late 40s. Instead of immediately getting glasses, he did some research in which he read a book about how not to need glasses. This led him to incorporating eye exercises into his daily nighttime routine. It was many years later, in his late 70's, that he started wearing glasses to read.
Eye exercising simply means using your eyes to their full extent, in a range of movements and focusing skills you don’t use in your daily life (i.e. staring at your computer screen). They will also help keep your eyes moist and prevent eye strain, which is one of the biggest causes of blurry vision. Try a couple of the exercises below and see how they work for you!
Flexing – Look up as high as you can without moving your head, then look down. Look up and to the right as far as you can, then bottom left. Switch sides and look up and to the left as far as you can, then bottom right. Repeat.
Palming – Cup your hands over your eyes and apply gentle pressure around the bone of your eye socket. With your eyes closed, stare into the blackness and see how far you can focus into the distance. Allow all residual colors to fade to black, usually at least 30 seconds.
Blinking – In general, blink more and become aware of when you stop blinking. If you feel eye strain coming on, just blink to lubricate your eye and refresh your brain so it’s ready to receive new visual data.
Focusing – Focus on your thumb held close to your face, then focus on your other thumb held at arm’s length. Next, focus on something across the room and then on something really far away (perhaps out of a window). Spend one or two seconds on each item and repeat.
Zooming – Similar to focusing, this exercise starts with you looking at your thumb being held at arm’s length. Slowly draw it in until it’s three inches in front of your eyes, maintaining focus the entire time. Then move it out to arm’s length again. Repeat for a few minutes.
Many eye doctors will recommend these eye exercises to prevent further vision deterioration, so try these natural techniques yourself. And remember to always treat your body kindly inside and out by using only all natural, organic products like Edye’s Naturals.
