According to the National Institutes of Health, farsightedness or hyperopia, is a visual condition characterized by being best able to see objects which are further away from the eye. Farsightedness is "the result of the visual image being focused behind the retina rather than directly on it," say the National Institutes of Health. As a result, closer objects are blurry. Eye exercises have been recommended by some sources, but there is limited evidence proving eye exercises can improve vision.
Theories/Speculation
An ophthalmologist by the name of William Bates developed several eye exercises which he believed would be of benefit. Described as the "Bates Method," one exercise is called "swinging," where you gaze at a point while standing and gently sway the body from side-to-side. Another program claiming to improve vision is known as the "See Clearly Method." Problems with vision may be the result of eyeball shape, which cannot be changed, says the All About Vision website.
Possible Benefits
Suggested benefits of eye exercises include a reduction of eye strain, the preservation and improvement of vision, increasing circulation to the eye and muscles around the eye and strengthening eye muscles. According to the All About Vision website, eye exercises affect "the muscles controlling back-and-forth movement of your eye's natural lens." As we age, the lens becomes less supple and we lose our ability to see as clearly. It is unclear whether eye exercises can help this condition.
Eye Exercises for Focus
Eye exercises involving a change in focus have been recommended for farsightedness. The most common sort of exercise of this kind involves focusing the eyes on a point close to the eyes and then shifting the focus to something further away. This is slightly different from the "tromboning" method described below, but both exercises are recommended in the "See Clearly" program.
Eye Strengthening Exercises
The A 2 Z of Health, Beauty and Fitness website recommends an exercise known as "tromboning" to help strengthen the muscles around the eye. In this exercise, you move the eyes to follow an object such as a pencil, as you move it straight away from the face and then back again toward you.
Yogic Eye Exercises
According to the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, eye exercises are beneficial and an important part of self-care. The Sivananda organization recommends eye exercises be done since we do not move our eyes as much in a modern world, they say. They suggest moving the eyes up and down, from side to side, diagonally and also in clockwise and counterclockwise circles. They recommend "palming" to help relax the eyes, by rubbing the hands together and cupping them over the eyes.
References
- U. S. National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health: Medline Plus: Farsightedness
- A 2 Z of Health, Beauty and Fitness: E: Eye Strengthening Exercises
- "Yoga Mind and Body"; Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center; 1996
- All About Vision: The See Clearly Method & Other Programs: Do Eye Exercises Improve Vision?
