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Top 5 Eye Exercises That Prevent Digital Strain

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Top 5 Eye Exercises That Prevent Digital Strain

It is impossible to think or conceptualize life without an electronic device like a phone, or an iPad, or a computer? But did you know too much exposure to any screen puts excessive strain on your eyes and can also cause serious damage?

In April 2020, as reported by Forbes the average American user spent a quarter of their waking time on their mobile device: which is estimated to be 4.3 hours while Mobile commerce accelerated as more people spent on shopping apps than the previous year.

The eye, like any organ, has a mechanism that demands constant care and attention. The eye itself contains six muscles i.e. four rectus and two oblique muscles responsible for various eye movements that involve tracking moving objects, scan an area, or even focusing on a visual. With that being said it is only logical to take measures that can help us prevent our eyes from any serious damage while working or using our electronic devices.

It is advisable to consult an eye doctor or specialist before proceeding to make use of the eye exercises available online. Some studies indicate that exercising your eyeballs can aid in reducing strain, also improve vision and reverse the damages incurred by myopia or dry eyes. In this read we will examine what exercises can be a part of our early morning routine or at least regular day life.

5 Useful Eye Exercises

Eye exercises had been introduced to the world as early as the 1920s. There are physical and well as mental exercises that have been widely adopted in different parts of the world to improve one’s vision. A few physical exercises have been mentioned above and will be explained later in detail but one of the most prominent mental exercises involves engaging in personal affirmations to give oneself a sense or feel that his/her vision is improving e.g. repeatedly stating to oneself: “I able to see better each day,” or, “I am able to see properly without my glasses.”

Let us examine the eye exercises that will help you move your eye muscles to create up-and-down, side-to-side, or circular movements while also changing your point of focus to different areas and distances to enhance your overall vision:

  • 20/20/20 Rule

    A unique eye exercise as its name suggests. This exercise is best for people who spend long hours working or studying using a computer screen or even a book. All you have to do is pause whatever you are doing while remained seated at your desk and after every 20 minutes focus on an area or object 20 feet away for 20 seconds hence the name 20/20/20 rule. The best way to ease digital eye strain by taking a quick break.

    20/20/20 A unique eye exercise

  • Figure-8:

    While there are many versions of going about this exercise, it really depends on how procedural you want to make it. The easiest way of doing this exercise is to focus on a blank surface area or wall about 8 feet away and drawing an imaginary digit 8 on the surface area using your eyes for 30 seconds. Once completed switch your direction and make the same shape using your eye.

    The comprehensive way of going about it is to sit straight with a proper posture landing your feet flat on the ground. Rest your arms and place the hands on your knees and then slowly lift the right-hand adjacent to your eye with the thumb pointing up. In the same posture use your thumb to draw an imaginary figure 8 on the ceiling or the roof keeping your arm straight. Move your eyes making an eight in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction repeatedly 5 times. Once completed proceed to do the same using your left thumb.

    Figure 8 a comprehensive eye exercise

  • Pencil Push-Up

    Before you start comprehending and confused yourself after reading the “push up”, do not mistake it with a regular pushup we see often at the gym or the park. This exercise only requires a pencil.

    Also recommended during the initial stages of vision therapy, this exercise requires you to hold a pencil with a steady grip at arm’s length, situated between the eyes. Next, focus on the pencil as a steady visual and then slowly move it closer towards your nose while maintaining focus. Bring the pencil to the closest point till it no longer appears to be a single visual, and then push it away repeating the same exercise 20 times.

  • Hocus, Focus:

    Changing the focus of your eyes from close objects to far ones helps the eye muscles to move instantly and helps further enhance your visual acuity.

    Hocus, Focus is just the exercise that will help you focus better as well as improve your overall sight. To begin, sit on a chair in an upright position placing your thumb about 10 inches away from your eyes. Next, make contact with your thumb, focusing on it in detail to the point of focusing on the horizontal lines that appear on the skin, for a few seconds.

    Then identify any object that is approximately 10-20 feet far and begin to focus on that object for another few seconds and then must at once go back to focusing on your thumb up close. Once the first cycle is complete proceed to identify another object, this time 20-30 feet away from your location. Begin focusing on that object, and move back to focusing your thumb immediately, and again back to the first identified object. You will need to complete 3 cycles of this process each time increasing the distance of the object in each cycle. A daily practice of 2-3 minutes to sure to strengthen your eyes and keep your visual focus intact.Hocus, Focus exercise helps you focus better

  • Round the Clock

    Last but not least of the exercises requires an abundance of imaginative capacity. Sit properly with your eyes shut, imagine a clock and visualize the digits 12 and 6 on the clock. Keeping your eyes closed, rotate the eyes from 12 going downwards to 6 in a clockwise rotation and repeat it for another 15-20 times.

    Next, visualize the digits 3 and 9 positioned parallel to one another. Using the same clockwise direction, rotate the eyes moving from 3 to 9 for about 20 times and then repeat the same anti-clockwise wise.

    To make it easier and a part of your daily habit you practice it before going to bed while laying down in your bed with your eyes shut.

    Round the Clock eye exercise before going to bed

Though all these exercises can help you relieve stress or digital strain, eye exercises are certainly not the cure if you’re suffering from serious eye diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma.

In those cases, consulting an eye specialist and making use of an innovative low vision device that offers image magnification, visual adjustment, virtual assistant such as the IrisVision – an FDA approved grade I medical device would be a smart approach to tackle visual obstacles.

Make use of supervised programs of vision therapy that help you correct certain eye alignment, binocular vision issues only when prescribed by your eye specialist or ophthalmologist.

2021-10-04T11:03:15+00:00

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