Even Eyeballs Need To Move

Lately, I notice that my eyes seem to be getting worse. Is it age, or could it possibly be non-use? By that I mean we live in a world of staring straight ahead, or slightly down viewing a computer, television, cell phone, books, or dinner. We don’t move our eyes.

Six extra-ocular eye muscles surround each eyeball. If we turn our head to look at something, instead of moving our eyes to view the same thing, we use only the center of the eyeball, not the peripheral muscles. Good peripheral vision is tied to balance. It’s a use-it or lose-it scenario for the eyes and balance. The extra-ocular muscles atrophy from non-use, and decrease our balance. We blame it on age.

Rethink vision and eyes. What you use, improves, increases, and gets better. Eyes are no exception. The more you use all the ranges of your eyes, the better they function and increase peripheral vision. They feed your brain more information, allowing you to be aware of your surroundings, increase your sense of balance, and protect you from danger. It’s hard to sneak up on someone who has good peripheral vision. Street muggers abound, but so do errant cars, sidewalk uneven-ness, runaway grocery carts, and people generally bumping into you.

Here’s how to increase your vision and awareness: move your eyes more and your head less. Make your eyes work more at the corners and the edges of your vision. Move your eyes to look to the side instead of your head. Or turn your head, not your whole body. Spell out the letters to your name with your eyes without moving your head. Practice the infinity sign with your eyes, make circles, or see how far up you can see without moving your head. Focus on a flower near you, then focus on a tree far away. Make your eyes work. They are not there just to look pretty on your face. They have function that needs to be utilized every day.

If you feel eye strain, you may need to move your eyes more. With practice, the strain decreases. It’s a great sign that you’re not getting “old”; you just need to move more, including your eyes.

That’s Aging Intelligently.