Keep your eyes in shape, no gym required

Ready to give your eyes a little workout? Eye exercises don’t improve your eyesight, but over time, they can improve the way your eyes work together. This helps you focus when you read and can reduce issues like blurry vision and eye strain.

The 20-20-20 rule

This isn’t an exercise, but it does help prevent eye strain – especially if you work at a computer all day. It’s also easy. Every 20 minutes you’re using a screen, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

The exercises below are just a few examples. If you are interested in exercising your eyes, consult your optometrist about the right technique for you.

Near and far focus

This can help train your eyes to focus and relax properly.

1. Hold your thumb about 10 inches from your face.
2. Focus your eyes on your thumb for 15 seconds.
3. Switch your focus to an something around 10 to 20 feet away.
4. Focus on it for 15 seconds.
5. Return your focus to your thumb and repeat this five times.

Figure 8

A slightly trickier exercise, this one can help your eyes track moving objects.

1. Begin from a seated position.
2. Pick a point on the floor and focus on it.
3. Keeping your head still, trace an imaginary figure 8 with your eyes.
4. Continue for 30 seconds.
5. Trace the figure 8 again, this time in the opposite direction.
6. Continue for 30 seconds.

Pencil pushups

These pushups are less tiring than actual pushups and can improve your eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects.

1. Hold a pencil at arm’s length.
2. Focus your eyes on the pencil and slowly move it toward your nose. As you do this, try to keep the pencil single image.
3. Continue moving the pencil toward your nose until it splits into a double image.
4. Start over with the pencil at arm’s length.
5. Repeat the exercise several times.