A popular claim on the internet is that certain eye exercises can reduce your power and eliminate the need for glasses. Let us be honest with you: there is no clinical evidence that eye exercises can change the shape of your eye or reduce a refractive error like short-sightedness or astigmatism.
What exercises can help with:
Eye exercises are genuinely useful for reducing eye strain and fatigue, not for changing your prescription. The 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds) is the most evidence-backed technique for reducing digital eye strain. Regular blinking exercises help with dry eyes. Focus-shifting exercises — looking from near to far and back — help relax overworked eye muscles.
What they cannot do:
They cannot reduce myopia (short-sightedness). They cannot correct astigmatism. They cannot replace glasses or contact lenses. Claims that they can are not supported by peer-reviewed research.
What actually helps manage myopia progression in children:
Spending more time outdoors (at least 90 minutes a day) has strong clinical evidence behind it for slowing myopia progression in children. Orthokeratology lenses (worn overnight) are another option. Speak to our optometrist if your child's prescription is changing rapidly.
Be sceptical of any product, programme, or app that promises to improve your eye power. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.