Optician warns against eye gymnastics TikTok trend

A viral TikTok and Reddit trend was promoting ‘eye gymnastics’ to naturally improve eyesight, with some influencers claiming they could even reduce prescriptions by multiple diopters.

On TikTok, posts under #EyeExercises gained over 650K likes, with creators making claims that simple eye movements just two minutes a day for four weeks could sharpen eyesight.

Commenting on the latest trend, Jo Lindley, an optometrist at Leightons Opticians in Camberley and Farnham, said: ‘There is no scientific proof that eye exercises can permanently improve refractive errors like myopia or hyperopia. At best, they may relieve digital eye strain, but they won’t fix nearsightedness or remove the need for glasses.’