Understanding how your eyes convert light energy into signals that your brain uses to create images and control hormone and neurotransmitter release throughout your body is essential. Given that clear, healthy vision is crucial for overall well being, this article provides actionable steps to improve your eye health and reduce age-related vision decline.

Daily Practices for Eye Health

Your eyes constantly adjust to help you maintain a clear view of the world. The lens of your eye is most relaxed when you are looking at distant objects, such as the horizon. However, focusing on nearby objects, like computer screens or phones, requires the eye muscles to work harder, which can eventually alter the shape of your eyeball and lead to myopia (nearsightedness).

Tips for Eye Relaxation:

Balance Near and Far Viewing:

• Periodically allow your eyes to relax throughout the day by looking at distant objects. This can help balance the strain caused by prolonged close-up work.
• If you spend a lot of time on close-up tasks, aim to view distant objects multiple times a day. Take breaks by looking out a window or taking a walk outside.

Combat Headaches and Fatigue:

• To alleviate tension headaches caused by close-up viewing, relax all your face muscles, including your jaw, for 1-5 minutes every 30-60 minutes.
• Spend more time viewing distant objects in a relaxed manner.

Engage in Optic Flow:

• Activities like walking, running or biking outdoors can reduce anxiety and improve mood through the panoramic vision and optic flow these activities create.
• Avoid reading on your phone during these activities to ensure you benefit from the natural environment.

Sunlight Exposure Reduces Myopia Risk:

• Studies show that children who spend more than two hours a day in sunlight have a lower incidence of myopia (nearsightedness). This benefit is likely due to both far viewing and the activation of specific neurons in the eye by sunlight, which improves blood flow and supports eye health.
• Aim for at least two hours of sunlight exposure daily, preferably without sunglasses. However, never stare directly at the sun.

Eye Training Exercises

Incorporate the following exercises to strengthen your eye muscles and enhance your ability to focus on objects at various distances, thus combating age-related vision decline.

Smooth Pursuit Eye Task:

• Follow a small moving object with your eyes, aiming for smooth movements rather than quick, jerky ones. Practice for 2-3 minutes, three times a week.
• Examples: Track a bird in flight or a ball during a sports game.

Near-Far Exercises:

• Hold a small object (like a pen) about 1.5 feet from your eyes, and slowly move it closer while keeping it in focus until it becomes blurry. Then, move it further away.
• Practice for 1-2 minutes every other day to enhance your focus flexibility and strengthen eye muscles.

Nutrition and Supplements for Eye Health

A nutrient-rich diet can support the health of your photoreceptors and other eye components.

Vitamin A:

• Essential for phototransduction, the process of converting light into electrical signals.
• Foods rich in vitamin A: Dark leafy greens, yellow/orange vegetables and fruits.

Lutein:

• Supports the eye’s phototransduction process and can reduce age-related macular degeneration.
• Sources of lutein: Egg yolk and dark leafy vegetables.

By consuming a diet rich in non-processed fruits and vegetables, you can ensure your eyes receive the necessary antioxidants and vitamins for optimal health.

Incorporating these daily practices, exercises and nutritional tips can significantly improve your eye health and protect against age-related decline. By prioritizing your vision, you can enhance your overall well being and vitality. Take care of your eyes, and they will take care of you!

A little about me:

My name is Jane Burnette, and I’m passionate about health and wellness. As a holistic health coach with a degree from UNC Chapel Hill and numerous certifications, I specialize in lifestyle changes that empower people to achieve their health goals. 

My mission is simple – guide clients to optimize their daily habits, so their body’s natural healing processes can kick in. Rather than focus on diets or quick fixes, I teach sustainable strategies for nutrition, exercise, stress relief and more.