Spend at least two hours or more outdoors in sunlight daily to significantly reduce the incidence of myopia (nearsightedness) and potentially offset its progression. This is due to specific light wavelengths activating intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, which are crucial for eye health.
To achieve the recommended two hours of daily outdoor sunlight exposure, consider performing some of your phone, computer, or reading tasks outdoors. This allows you to benefit from natural light exposure even while engaging in close-up work.
To maintain or improve vision, ensure you balance viewing objects up close (e.g., screens, books) with viewing objects at a distance (e.g., across a room, outdoors) throughout your day. This practice helps the eye’s lens and overall structure adapt appropriately.
Dedicate at least one hour (ideally more) each day to long-distance viewing, such as walking outside without looking at your phone or actively scanning for distant objects. This helps counteract the effects of excessive close-range viewing and supports vision maintenance.
For every hour spent viewing objects three feet away or less, aim for at least one hour of total daily viewing beyond three feet from your eyes. This specific balance is crucial for maintaining and enhancing the eye’s musculature and structure.
For individuals 40 years or older, expose your eyes to red light (650-720 nm range) for 1-3 minutes, 1-3 times per week, early in the day, from about 1.5-2 feet away (ensuring it’s not painfully bright). This can offset age-related vision loss by reducing reactive oxygen species in photoreceptors.
Maintain a healthy diet rich in nutrients like vitamin A and lutein, and completely avoid cigarette smoking, as these foundational health practices are often sufficient for robust eye health. These habits are more impactful than relying solely on supplements.
Consume sufficient vitamin A, which is essential for the phototransduction cascade in the retina, primarily through dietary sources like dark green leafy vegetables (ideally raw or lightly cooked) and liver. Most people can meet their vitamin A needs through diet without supplementation.
Do near-far eye exercises, such as focusing intently on a pen as you move it close to and away from your eyes, for a minute or two, about three times a week. This practice strengthens eye musculature and builds neuromuscular connections, improving vision acuity.
Perform smooth pursuit eye tasks for a few minutes daily (e.g., tracking a small dot or crosshatch on a screen) to maintain and improve the musculature and movement of your eyes. This enhances visual acuity and the ability to smoothly transition focus.
If your vision is only somewhat impaired, actively engage in distance viewing, smooth pursuit, near-far exercises, and maintain good nutrition to potentially offset visual impairment. This can help reduce over-reliance on corrective lenses, which can sometimes act like a crutch.
If you have a slightly deviating eye, discuss with your ophthalmologist or optometrist whether specific exercises can strengthen the eye muscles to correct the issue. This approach may help avoid prism lenses, which can sometimes lead to progressive muscle weakening.
If interested and within your budget, consider supplementing with lutein (10-20 mg/day), zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin, as anecdotal reports suggest enhanced vision. While robust clinical data for general vision improvement is still emerging, there is no known danger from these supplements.