Do side-to-side eye exercises work?

They can be a relaxing break, and they were part of two small eye yoga studies that found lower eye fatigue. There's no evidence they improve eyesight.

No. Keep your head still and move only your eyes, as far as is comfortable.

Side-to-Side Eye Exercise: Steps and a Guided Timer

How to do it

Sit upright and look straight ahead. Keep your head still.
Slowly move your eyes as far left as is comfortable, and pause there briefly.
Slowly move them as far right as is comfortable, and pause.
Repeat for 30 seconds (about six times each way), then blink a few times and look ahead.

Why it helps, and what the evidence says

Screen work keeps your eyes in a narrow, fixed area for hours. Gentle eye movements add variety and a pause. Side-to-side viewing was part of the routines in two small eye yoga studies, one in 2016 and one in 2020, that found lower eye fatigue scores. Neither describes random assignment of participants, so the evidence is weak.

What it won't do: improve your vision. A systematic review found no clear evidence for eye exercises outside a few specific conditions.

Tips

Move only as far as feels easy, keep your head still, and stop if you feel dizzy, get a headache or see double.
Hold a fingertip at arm's length and follow it if you're away from the screen.
Blink and look into the distance when you finish.