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We do almost everything with the help of our eyes. Our vision is what allows us to experience the world around us. But do we really give them the attention they deserve? Health and wellness expert Luke Coutinho suggests a few tips and exercises to help support better eye health.
In a video on Instagram, he demonstrates a simple two-minute exercise that you can incorporate into your routine. “Everyone keeps talking about longevity while we look at our parents ageing, our senior citizens, and our children with the amount of screen time and television time they have. We want to look after our eyes like we look after our brain, heart, kidneys, liver and body. Here's a simple exercise that you can do,” he says.
He shares that all a person needs to do this exercise is a pen, mindfulness and awareness. “It's recommended that we do this for 2 minutes. Strengthen your eyes and anyone can do this across the ages,” he says.
Luke takes a pen and holds it out in front of him before slowly bringing it closer to his face and then taking it away while keeping his gaze on the tip.
“My eyes converge as I look into the tip of the pen and I move it back again. You feel a pressure build up in your eyes and that shows you how much we don't exercise our eyes. And do this again,” he says.
He then takes the exercise a step further, moving the pen from side to side while following it with his eyes. “I am going to do this a couple of times. And then also I am going to bring the pen a little closer and then I just move it towards the side and I follow with my eyes. I bring it back to the centre and then I move it again in the other direction. You feel that pressure in your eyes. But you also feel so amazing once this exercise is done.”
According to him, the exercise can also be useful during long flights, particularly when one has been spending considerable time looking at a screen.
He also stresses the importance of blinking, especially when spending extended periods looking at screens. “Because when we focus on the screen we don't blink and we want to create that moisture, those tears. That's another beautiful exercise and a powerful one.”
Luke then demonstrates another simple movement, asking viewers to look upwards while continuing to blink. “For all of us, it goes like, I look up and I blink. So looking straight at you, and roll my eyes upwards like I am looking at my eyebrows and I keep blinking.” He notes that the entire routine takes just a couple of minutes.
However, Luke says his most important practice is connecting with natural light. “My most powerful exercise is to connect with natural light in the morning and evening. And not look at your phone straight away.”
Did you find it interesting? Will you follow these tips?
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.