Exercise for the Eyes: Preventing Eye Strain

Do you notice that more young people are wearing glasses nowadays? Perhaps it could be that wearing glasses gives off a kind of “cool” vibe—after all, those preppy images you see when you pass by global brand stores like Own Days or Paris Miki make it seem so effortless to sport a pair of specs.

Or perhaps it’s because more young people these days are busy being indoors. They’ve been dubbed “the safest generation” for a reason. These are the kids who would rather stay home and use the computer to chat than be out with their friends. According to the Guardian, in Taiwan, 90% of young people have myopia—and it is linked to excessive “nearwork,” which means not only screentime, but also studying and reading. The article adds, “more recent studies have found that increased outdoor time is a crucial protective factor.”

Go out!

Remember my post on walking? This is another good reason to do it: it’s exercise for the eyes. Why? The eyes contain muscles that control their movements, like looking up, side to side, and rotating. Since we have two eyes, the muscles coordinate to move together so we can look at things we want to see, with depth perception and in 3D.

The eye muscles are like marionette strings that pull the eyes to move. (You can see an illustration in this link from the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus.) Like our other muscles, the eye muscles can get strained, too. They get strained when you stare at something (a page, a screen, a wall) for too long. The symptoms are often dizziness and headaches. Too much of this, and the strain can become the onset of myopia or other vision problems.

Eye exercises

Eye institutes like this one can give easy exercises to help decrease eye strain, especially for people who have to be on the computer for eight hours a day. But the simpler (and more calming) way to exercise the eyes is taking a break from “nearwork” and having a walk, preferably in a green space outdoors.

Not sure where to start? How about using these practical excuses to get your eyes (and the entire you) to move those muscles:

1. Take a water break if you’re working for hours in front of the computer. Fill up that jug of water at the office pantry’s (or your kitchen’s) water station. Look out the window and spy the weather or the streets outside.

2. Volunteer to do outdoor chores if you’re stuck at home. Sweep the driveway, throw out the trash, wash the car, take the dog for a walk, water the plants.

3. Schedule an errand that gives you a screen break. You can go to the bank to manage your funds or to the grocery store to pick up some eggs. Something quick to do that needs to be done fits this bill.

4. Pick up a ball or a frisbee and play with your children in the park. In the weekend, take the whole family! It’s family bonding, exercise, and relaxation combined—and it’s free.

Overall, any activity that involves looking at faraway things can help balance out the eye strain caused by too much nearwork, too much staying indoors. It’s good to examine your daily habits to see what’s lacking and then be creative in finding ways to make up for it. Your eyes will thank you later.

"Like our other muscles, the eye muscles can get strained, too. They get strained when you stare at something (a page, a screen, a wall) for too long. The symptoms are often dizziness and headaches."