What does reading economy mean?
When reading, our eyes constantly move from one word to another, repeatedly having to refocus. This complex eye work is orchestrated by a total of nine different eye muscles. The six external and three internal eye muscles work together harmoniously to control our gaze direction, focusing, and adaptation to different distances.
The external eye muscles, also called extraocular muscles, attach directly to the eyeball. They act as the "guy ropes" of our eye and move the eyeball within its socket. Depending on their point of attachment, they enable movements in various directions. This aspect of eye movement is known as oculomotor function.
Like all muscles in the body, eye muscles can also tire with intense strain. This can lead to loss of concentration and quick distraction, especially when reading. Fatigue of the eye muscles can manifest as imprecise and inefficient eye movements.
Let's compare this to running. Just as running economy refers to the efficiency of running style, where unnecessary movements are avoided to concentrate energy on running motions and thus run longer, we can also optimize eye movements when reading.
The idea behind "reading economy" is to minimize unnecessary eye movements to maximize energy for concentrated reading. Since our eyes naturally follow a movement stimulus, we can use this stimulus to increase reading efficiency. One way to achieve this is to guide the eyes through the lines of text with a reading aid like the Bookhoover. This reduces "unnecessary" movements in the form of regressions and "line slipping," and more energy is available for the actual reading.
Tips for strengthening eye muscles:
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Blink regularly: Simple blinking helps to relax the eye muscles and prevents dryness.
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Gaze shift exercises: Regularly look into the distance to relieve your eye muscles.
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Palming: Rub your hands together to warm them, then gently place them over your closed eyes. This can promote relaxation.
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Pencil push-ups: Hold a pen (or the Bookhoover) at arm's length and focus on it. Slowly move the pen closer to your nose and then back again. This improves your eyes' ability to focus.
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Focus shift: Look at a nearby object, then at a distant object. This helps to train the ability to adapt to different distances.
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Mini-breaks: Take short breaks while reading and look into the distance. This can help to reduce eye muscle fatigue.
Strengthening your eye muscles and improving your reading economy can help to increase your reading efficiency and stay focused longer. This way, you can enjoy reading even more and at the same time not neglect your eye care.
With this in mind, we wish you relaxed and efficient reading!
Illustration: manamolotov