Will Eye Exercises Improve Eyesight?

The old adage that says ‘What you don’t use, you lose’, is certainly true, especially when we know what lack of exercise does to our body and our brain too.

So, does the same principle apply to our eyes as well? Is it possible to improve eyesight by doing eye exercises? Also can eyesight weaken by straining our eyes and reading in poor light and so on?

According to Dr. Scott Greenstein, an ophthalmologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, all this is a myth, and that there is no evidence that by exercising eye muscles we can improve their functioning. It isn’t like going to the gym that you can strengthen eyesight by exercising the eyes.

The possible exception according to the doctor, is those people who have difficulty with convergence – by doing eye exercises it is possible for them to improve ability to focus without seeing double.

Studies carried out by the American Academy of Ophthalmology of studies on eye training also found no particular benefit of exercising the eyes; though there could be subjective benefits such as the individual’s brain being able to interpret blurry images better.