What are near far exercises?

Near-far exercises, often referred to as "pencil push-ups" or smooth pursuit tracking, are designed to enhance eye health and visual performance. Here is a concise overview based on insights from Andrew Huberman and Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg on the Huberman Lab:

1. Method:

   • Hold a pen or pencil at arm's length.
   • Focus on it while slowly bringing it towards your nose.
   • Continue to focus on the pencil even as it becomes blurry.
   • Move the pencil back out to arm's length.
   • Repeat this for 10 to 25 repetitions.

2. Benefits:

   • Eye Health: Helps in maintaining the eye's ability to focus on different distances, especially beneficial from ages 30 to 50.
   • Convergence Insufficiency: Useful for those diagnosed with difficulty in converging their eyes, reducing double vision.
   • Concussion Recovery: Assists in regaining tight control over eye movements and the eye-brain connection, crucial for smooth pursuit tracking post-concussion.

Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg confirmed that these exercises are not harmful and noted some clinical trial data suggesting their benefits in specific conditions 1.