The older we get the more important it becomes to maintain our eye health. We only have one set of eyes so it is really important to try and keep them healthy as possibly for as long as we can. There are many things which can impact the health of our eyes but on a positive note there are also many things which we can do to keep them healthy. In this blog we will look at some tips on how to improve our eyesight with exercises.
Visual tracking is the ability to move your eyes to focus on an object that moves across your field of vision, including left to right, up to down or circular motions. The skill is essential for daily activities, including reading, driving, drawing, sports and performing basic manual tasks.
This visual processing capacity develops around age five without us even realising it. The connection between the eyes and brain allows you to perform at your best every minute of the day. By learning how to improve eyesight, it helps keeps headaches and eye strain at bay and preserves our vision for longer.
Follow these exercises to help improve your eyesight:
1. Smooth Pursuits: Start here if you want to learn how to get better vision. Put something at arm’s length, like the tip of a pen. Once you have your target in focus, steadily move it from right to left and left to right until it is no longer in your field of vision. Stop right away if you experience any strain or discomfort.
This exercise should be repeated in both the diagonal and vertical planes. You can switch between fast and slow motions. Keep going for a few minutes. Take a pause if you start to lose concentration so that your eyes can rest.
2. Saccades: Hold two objects, such as two spoons, at a distance of two feet apart. Maintain a firm posture while switching between the two targets with your eyes. This can be done either vertically or horizontally.
To test yourself, you can also utilise one eye and concentrate on two distant objects. Perform the exercise with your hand cupped over one eye before switching. To make it harder, quicken your eye movements or space the objects more apart.
3. Convergence Pencil Push-up: Take a pencil and hold it at arm’s length. Slowly move it toward your nose while always focusing on the item’s tip. Once you reach the point where the pencil doubles, slowly move the object back until it resolves itself. Hold the target in place for a few seconds and repeat the exercise. Over time, you’ll notice how this exercise improves eyesight as the pencil starts doubling closer and closer to the tip of your nose.
4. Vestibular Ocular Reflex Training (VOR): Fix your gaze on an object that you are holding at arm’s length. Turn your head horizontally at a slow pace. Focus on turning it around while doing so. On the vertical plane, perform the exercise again. Change VOR training from seated to standing to increase the difficulty.
5. Ball Toss: Since you’ve started playing catch, you’ve been learning how to enhance your vision and visual processing. Grab a friend and space yourself out a few feet. Face forward and firmly place your feet. Twist your waist to move your body to the right. You should catch the ball from your partner. Once you’ve caught it, shift your posture to the left before returning it. Continue to repeat, stepping up your speed and distance as you go.
Learning how to improve eyesight only takes a few minutes per day, and exercises are only the beginning of enhancing your vision. Don’t forget to attend yearly eye exams!
