As simple as it sounds, eye exercises can be used to help improve poor vision by strengthening and relaxing eye muscles. Dr. Janice Wensveen, clinical assistant professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry explains that doctors often prescribe eye exercises to treat different kinds of vision disorders. Eye exercises generally offer the most benefit to individuals who suffer eye disorders related to misalignment of the eyes.
Exercises to Relax the Eyes
Use relaxation exercises as a warm up before performing other eye exercises, or to relieve eyestrain. According to the MayoClinic.com, eyestrain can be a symptom of an underlying eye problem or uncorrected vision. Eyestrain, too, can cause blurred or double vision, increased sensitivity to light or trouble shifting your focus.
Sit in a quiet room and close your eyes. Focus on the rhythm of your breathing for three minutes. Get more blood flowing to your eyes by slowing dropping your head back and then forward again. Keep your spine straight and your neck relaxed. With your head erect, turn it to the right as far as it will go, back to center, and then to the left so that you are looking over your shoulder. Next, drop your head forward and roll it in a wide circle. Raise your right shoulder and then drop it down. Do the same with the left shoulder before raising both shoulders at once. Relax your eyes after performing eye exercises by closing them and covering them lightly with cupped palms. Take deep breaths and visualize a calm, distant scene for about two minutes.
Eye Exercise for Farsightedness
This exercise improves your eyes' ability to quickly shift focus from near to far, or from far to near. Without wearing your glasses, hold up a finger about 6 inches away from the tip of your nose. Concentrate on your fingertip to the count of five before shifting your focus to a distant object at least 20 feet away. Hold your gaze as you count to five. Begin alternating your focus between near and far objects each time to the count of five. Repeat the exercise 40 times.
Eye Exercise for Presbyopia
Sometime in their 40s most people begin to have trouble maintaining a clear focus at a near distance. Weakening eye muscles and a loss of eye flexibility cause the condition known as presbyopia. However, there are eye exercises that can help increase eye flexibility. Sit at one end of a room. Keep your eyes moving by allowing them to scan around the edges of different objects in the room. Do this for about three minutes.
Eye Exercise for Crossed Eyes
Hold a pencil directly in front of you at arm's length. This common eye exercise that you can do at home is known as pencil push-up therapy. Slowly bring the pencil closer to your nose. Try to keep the pencil in clear focus as you follow it with your eyes. Once it begins to appear as a double image, begin moving it away from your nose. Repeat the exercise several times and at different times throughout the day. You want to eventually keep the pencil in clear focus as a single image. This exercise is used to help correct a binocular vision disorder such as strabismus; a condition that describes crossed eyes, wandering eyes or eyes that turn when looking at an object.
References
- ScienceDaily: Eye Exercises Help Patients Work Out Vision Problems
- MayoClinic.com: Eyestrain: Risk factors
- Eye-exercises-for-good-vision.com: Eye Exercises for Farsightedness
- VisionWorks USA: Computer Eye Strain: How to Relieve It
- Virtual Medical Centre: Eye Exercises: Visual Training for Eye Disorders
