Your eyes perform rapid movements from point to point as you read. Saccades are short rapid movements between each fixation point. Your eyes extract visual information only during a fixation. Your saccades may move your fixation point by a single character or as much as 25 characters. Regressions occur when you back up to reread or reset your fixation point and delay reading speed. Your extraocular muscles control your saccadic movements. Eye exercises can strengthen your extraocular muscles.
Closed Lateral
Look straight ahead and close your eyes. Keep your eyes closed while moving them up toward the ceiling. Then move your eyes slowly down toward the floor without moving your head. Keep your head still and repeat moving your eyes up and down three times. This exercises the superior and inferior rectus, and superior and inferior oblique extraocular muscles. Blink a few times with your eyes closed to complete this exercise.
Closed Horizontal
Look straight ahead and close your eyes. Keep your eyes closed while moving them to the left and slowly over to the right without moving your head. Keep your head still and repeat moving your eyes left and right three times. This exercises the lateral and medial extraocular muscles in each eye. Blink a few times to complete this exercise.
More Words
According to Mind Tools, proficient readers read quickly by looking at more words per fixation and spend only an instant on each block of text. Look at a page full of text and start reading. Look at two or three words at a time while spending equal time on each set as consistently as possible. Improve your reading speed by trying to increase the number of words you look at per fixation.
Flexibility
Improve your eye flexibility for easier extraocular movement during reading. Look straight ahead and look to the extreme left, then look to the extreme right. Muscular motor errors cause some regressions that delay reading. This flexibility exercise helps tune your extraocular muscles to help prevent motor errors, and enhances your eyes' ability to move smoothly across the text.
Fixation Point
According to an article by University of Pittsburgh researcher Erik Reichle in Behavioral and Brain Sciences, reading regressions occur more frequently when the eyes land on points toward the end of a word. The optimal fixation point is slightly to the left of the middle of a fixation point. Reduce your reading regressions by trying to land on optimal fixation points that are between the beginning and middle of words and phrases as consistently as possible while reading.
Palming
Fatigued eyes and eye strain can slow down reading speed. Palming can help your eyes relax to prevent or overcome strain and fatigue. Close your eyes and gently press the base of your palm against your eyelids for 10 seconds. Cup your hands and keep them over your eyes. Open your eyes and look into your palms while slowly breathing through your nose for 30 seconds.
References
- Mind Tools: Speed Reading
- University of Arizona: Influential Studies in Eye-Movement Research
- "Comparing Models of Eye Movement Control in Reading"; Erik Reichleh; 2004
- U.S. Department of Ergonomics for Computer Workstations: Ergonomics for Computer Workstations
- UC Davis School of Medicine: Theory of Eye Motion and Neurological Testing
