Looking for some tips to enhance your eye health as you grow older? Or are you worried that your children are developing vision issues at such a young age? Here are 5 activities that you and your family can enjoy that will enhance your eye health and strengthen your vision.

Eye Exercises

Eye exercises are a natural way to cure vision problems and strengthen your sight. By taking two to five minutes a day to practice these exercises, you can slowly start to improve your vision.  

  • The figure-eight exercise will help to practice physically moving our eyes. To practice this exercise, start in the seated position and pick a point on the floor approximately 10 feet in front of you. Then trace an imaginary figure eight with your eyes while keeping your head still for approximately thirty seconds.
  • The focus change exercise will improve your near and far focus. Simply hold your thumb out as far as you can. Focus on your finger and then slowly move your thumb towards your face while holding the focus. Look away to focus on something in the distance and then start again for three repetitions.
  • Shifting your eyes from one direction to another can help improve your eye movement. Look as far left as you can and then slowly move your gaze to the right side. Do this for two minutes to keep your eyes healthy.

Video Games

That’s right, video games can, in fact, improve your visual ability. The ability to track objects and fast-moving events, can enhance your visual system and improve your attention span. In fact, action games seem to have the best results. Because these types of games require players to analyze optical data quickly and aim accurately, they can greatly help strengthen the eyes and sharpen the players’ vision. 

Team Sports

Many team sports like baseball and basketball can help to improve depth perception, eye tracking, and hand-eye coordination. Many sports that involve tracking objects, aiming at targets or processing objects and reacting quickly will help develop good eye health. This helps to improve overall vision, reaction time and athletic performance. 

Exercising

We all know that exercising is good for our heart and cardiovascular system, but did you know that it can also reduce the risk of eye-related conditions? Several studies have found a connection between regular exercise and a decrease of glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration. Exercise – even low impact workouts – can also help to maintain blood vessels and engage neurons that process visual information. 

Playing Outdoors

Scientists are finding that a number of children are being diagnosed with nearsightedness. Smartphone and computer dependence are partially to blame but the lack of outdoor activity is also a culprit.  Exposure to natural sunlight and nature can help protect against myopia. One study even showed that an increase in around 76 minutes per day is needed to obtain a 50% reduction in myopia in children. The trick is to balance cellular use with outdoor activities to improve vision and ward off issues.

Not sure if your vision is starting to go? Contact us at Laurier Optical or come see us today for an eye-exam — walk-ins are welcome! Our onsite optometrist will examine your eyes and provide you with the advice you need to help improve your vision. If you need glasses or a change in your subscription, we can help with that too! We have a vast selection of all the top brands and specialized eye ware – we’re your one-stop-shop for eye care in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa!