We spend a lot of time in front of screens now—over 7 hours daily for the average American. This level of exposure impacts eye health in a number of ways.
One major reason that affects our eye health is that we blink less frequently when looking at screens. The decrease in blinking can cause dry eyes, blurred vision, and headaches.
However, this digital eye strain isn’t the only problem. The blue light emitted from screens can also impact our circadian rhythm, disrupting sleep.
Also, spending a significant amount of time focusing only on close objects (like our computer screens and mobile devices) can also result in myopia, especially among children.
A proactive approach to eye care is prudent to mitigate these damaging effects. This not only means getting regular eye exams, but also taking steps to alleviate the strain put on eyes and counteract the damage that screens and other stimuli can cause. Thankfully, this can be achieved through just a few simple exercises.
In this post, we’ll explore three types of exercises that are scientifically shown to improve eye health. Incorporating them into your routine is a good way to build long-term eye health.
The 20-20-20 Rule
The 20-20-20 rule is simple to understand—simply look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. When you look away from the screen and focus on something further away, you’re greatly reducing the damage caused by focusing only on near objects. You’re also reducing digital eye strain and the symptoms like dry eye that come with it.
One of the nice things about the 20-20-20 rule is that it falls in line with other life-improving practices. Your body suffers the same strain from sitting in the same position. Standing up every 20 minutes or so will reduce strain on your skeleton and improve posture. Walking around before or after your eye exercises will bring a number of other health benefits.
Effectively Implementing the 20-20-20 Rule
An exercise is only as good as your willingness to commit to it. Below are some tips to help you turn the 20-20-20 rule into a lifelong habit:
Set up reminders: The rule is well-known, so there are countless app and browser extensions available to help you remember when it’s time to take a break and how long you should look away for. Search your favorite app store for one and make use of it.
Pre-measure distances: Looking at the same object every time might feel monotonous and cause you to quit. By measuring which objects around you are roughly 20 feet away, or placing objects specifically for this purpose, you can increase the variety and keep monotony at bay.
Pair with other habits: Anchoring one habit to another is an effective way to keep them going. Getting a coffee refill, stretching, or simply taking regular breaks are all habits you can pair with the 20-20-20 session, allowing the habits to reinforce one another.
Vary the distance: Focusing on different distances requires the use of different eye muscles. The majority of your sessions should be 20 feet but consider occasionally switching to 10-30 feet to improve variety in muscle usage.
Focus Shifting Exercises
Occasionally varying the distance of the 20-20-20 rule can be a good way to vary the exercise and work different parts of the eye, however adding a dedicated exercise for focusing at various distances on top of that is a good idea. This will allow for more thorough exercise of all of the eye’s muscles. You can do this with a simple focus-shifting technique:
Step-by-Step Technique
- Sit upright with a straight spine. Remove your eyeglasses or contact lenses, if possible.
- Hold your thumb or a pen close to your face to create a near-focus point
- Choose an object at least 20 feet away for your far focus point.
- Shift your focus between the near and far objects
- Hold your gaze on each long enough for the objects to come into focus (3–6 seconds)
- Start with 5 cycles and work your way up to 10 over time
- Do the exercise 1-3 times per day
You should feel your eyes adjusting to both the near and far objects until they become clear. If either point fails to come into focus, consult with an eye doctor.
Adapting for Different Ages and Needs
The near distance you choose depends on your age. As we get older, our ability to focus on close objects degrades. The exercise should adapt accordingly:
- Under 40: Your focus system is at its strongest. Use a near distance of around 6 inches and a far one of around 20 feet or more.
- Age 40-60: Near points may be more challenging at this age. A near point of 12–14 inches may be more comfortable for you.
- Over 60: Modify the distances further if needed to maintain comfort. You may also find it useful to add in an intermediate distance—roughly arm’s length away—to ease the transition.
Tracking Your Progress
It can be easier to stick with an exercise when you see results. If you find your eyes fatiguing after switching between near and far a few times, keep track of how many reps make it before that happens. Over time, this number should increase. Also, keep track of roughly how many seconds it takes for the eyes to focus at each step.
If you’re performing the exercise regularly and correctly, these numbers should improve. You will also likely notice reduced eye fatigue during your daily activities and an improved ability to keep your focus while reading.
Eye Yoga Techniques
Our final exercise is actually a group of four exercises. Think of it as a yoga routine for your eyes. Each exercise brings with it a unique benefit so it is good to learn and practice each one.
Eye Rotation
This exercise will improve blood circulation, exercise all six muscles that control eye movement, and help maintain the full range of motion in eye muscles.
To perform the exercise:
- Sit comfortably with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed
- Without moving your head, look up as far as comfortable
- Slowly move your eyes to the right, downward, left, and then back up
- Repeat this 5–8 times before reversing direction and repeating the process
Keep your motion slow and controlled, reaching the limit of your eyes’ range of motion without straining them.
Conscious Blinking Practice
We’ve discussed how looking at a screen reduces the amount of times we blink. This exercise will help counteract that. It keeps the tear film distributed evenly across the eye, stimulates glands that improve eye lubrication and reduces dry eye symptoms.
The steps for this exercise are:
- Fully close your eyes into a blink
- Hold the blink for 1–2 seconds
- Open the eyes and repeat 10–15 times
Perform the exercise 3–5 times throughout the day. Increase the number of sets if you’re in front of a screen for a long time or if you’re in a dry environment.
“Figure 8” Eye Tracking
This exercise improves the coordination between the eyes, enhances tracking ability, and exercises infrequently used eye muscles.
The steps for “Figure 8” eye tracking are as follows:
- Imagine a large Figure 8 pattern lying horizontally about 10 feet in front of you
- Trace the pattern with your eyes, keeping your head still
- Use slow and controlled eye movements
- Repeat 5–10 times in each direction
To make the exercise more difficult, you can imagine a vertical pattern instead. For greater variety, vary the size of the pattern or the speed of your eye movements.
Eye Palming
This is an excellent exercise for relaxation. It blocks visual stimulation and improves blood circulation to the eye as well as reducing overall stress.
Here are the steps to perform the eye palming exercise:
- Rub your palms together for 5–10 seconds to generate warmth
- Close your eyes and cup your palms over them
- Hold this for 1–3 minutes, taking deep breaths
For increased relaxation, you can imagine a deep blackness or serene scene. The best time to perform this exercise is after extended computer work or between challenging visual tasks. You may also find it helpful before bedtime or whenever your eyes are tired.
Keep Your Eyes Healthy with Chang Eye Group
You’ll often hear the phrase, “no pain, no gain” when it comes to exercise. That is not true here. Never perform these exercises to the point that there’s eye pain. If you find that the exercises are painful or you are not able to complete them as easily as you should, consult with an optometrist.
The expert eye doctors at Chang Eye Group in Pittsburgh can help you resolve difficulties with your vision. We also perform comprehensive eye exams to help you gauge the effects of screen time on your eye health. To make an appointment, contact us today or call (412) 429-2020.
