Extrinsic or extraocular muscles help track things that you look, and intrinsic or intraocular muscles control functions inside the eye. The lateral and medial extrinsic muscles control horizontal eye movement. The superior and inferior rectus, and superior and inferior oblique extrinsic muscles control vertical eye movement. The ciliary intrinsic muscles control the shape of the eye lens and pupil. Simple eye exercises can help strengthen the muscles in your eyes.
Warm Up
Perform four-direction eye movements to warm the your eye muscles. Look up a the ceiling, then down at the floor down. Look to the left and to the right, then make a semi circle along the top or bottom of your visual field back over to the left. Repeat by looking up and down, right and left, then make a semi-circle along the bottom or top of your visual field.
Parallel Viewing
Parallel viewing exercises the intraocular muscles which control eye lens shape and constriction or dilation of your pupils. Perform a parallel viewing exercise by touching the tips of your two pointer fingers, then look something about 10 or more feet away. Raise you're fingers up in front of your eyes while keeping the tips together and looking at the far away object. Focusing past the fingers should create the illusion of a third finger or segment between the tips of your fingers.
Stamina
Alternating focus exercises help build eye stamina, and prevent ocular fatigue that occurs with close tasks. Look at text in a book magazine or newspaper, and hold it as close as you can while maintaining clear focus. Focus on the text for 15 seconds, then look at something at least 10 feet away and focus on that for 15 seconds. Repeat this exercise five times.
Convergence
Your eyes converge to help you focus on tasks and objects. Convergence exercises strengthen the eye, prevent eyestrain and may eliminate floaters that occur with fatigued eyes. Hold a pencil in front of your face with your arm fully extended. Focus on a single spot on the pencil as you slowly move it toward your nose. Continue moving the pencil toward your nose until you see a double image of the pencil. Repeat this exercise 10 times two to four times a day. Try to work toward bringing the pencil to tip of your nose without a seeing a double image or straining your eyes. Use this exercise as needed to reduce floaters and strengthen your eyes' ability to focus.
Blood Flow
Eye functioning relies on blood and oxygen flow. Closed eye rolls promote healthy circulation to the eyes. Close your eyes. Slowly roll your eyes in a complete circle and move them from left to right while keeping your eyes closed. Repeat this exercise three times.
