Daily Fit Tip: Give your eyes a break

I got quite the shock when I went to see my optometrist five years ago, only to have him tell me that my vision had deteriorated signifcantly and I needed glasses. I found out I was quite near-sighted, despite having near-perfect vision a few years earlier. I racked my brain to figure out what I had done wrong, and it all came down to one thing: My job. That was around the time I started to work in an office environment, slaving over a computer day in and day out. Nearsightedness is rarely caused by genetics--more often, it is caused by strain to your nearpoint vision. And the top source of that kind of strain? You guessed it--the computer.

So my advice? Give your eyes a break. Finish this article, then turn off the computer and let your eyes relax. Men's Health also has this suggestion: Close your eyes, tense all the muscle in your body and and release all at once with an exhale. Do this a few times a day, and you'll find your whole body will be less tense, including your eyes.