Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, occurs when the eyeball is too long or there is too much curvature in the cornea, which causes improper focusing of light entering into the eye. With myopia, objects that are far away appear blurry, while objects that are close appear clear. Nearsightedness affects approximately 30 percent of the American population, according to the American Optometric Association. Eyeglasses, contacts and surgery are the conventional treatments for myopia. Eye exercises can provide some relief from the symptoms of nearsightedness, however, they are not meant to substitute for treatment by an eye care professional.
Near-Far Focus
Near-far focus eye exercises alternate focusing on objects close by with focusing on objects further away. An exercise available on the EyeCanLearn website features a 5-column chart of numbers listed in order from 1 to 30. Copy and paste the chart onto Word, WordPerfect, WordPad or a similar word processing program and save the chart as a document. Print out the document and trim the paper around the grid of numbers. Hold the paper containing the grid about 6 inches away from the nose, then focus on the number 1. Change focus to a calendar across the room, focusing on the number 1 on the calendar. Continue the exercise with every number on the grid and the calendar through the number 30. The ultimate goal is to be able to see the numbers both near and far away clearly while holding the paper containing the grid 3 inches from the nose, according to EyeCanLearn.
Palming
Palming increases relaxation that can relieve muscle tension in the eyes and improve vision, "Mother Earth News" claims. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position with elbows resting on a smooth surface or on your thighs. VisionWorksUSA suggests rubbing the palms together until they feel warm, about 15 to 20 seconds. Close your eyes and rest the warmed palms on your face, covering your eyes with fingers intertwined across the forehead. Do not place pressure on the eyes themselves. Open your eyes to ensure no light is getting through the cupped palms, then close your eyes. Imagine staring into deep space while viewing stars and other features of the night sky. Continue the exercise for one to two minutes. Practice this exercise as a break to compensate for hours of computer work or gaming, Improve-Vision-Naturally.com suggests.
Swinging
Swinging is a whole-body exercise that relieves stress and fatigue along with increasing eye mobility -- which can lead to a reduction of eyestrain, according to "Mother Earth News." Rotate the entire upper body to the left until the right heel lifts from the ground, then rotate the body to the right until the left heel lifts from the ground. Repeat approximately 30 times during one minute. Do not focus on any single object while doing the exercise. Perform the exercise twice daily.
A variation of this exercise involves sitting or standing at one end of the room and scanning the entire room and its contents with your eyes, says VisionWorks USA. Perform the exercise for two minutes. This exercise improves eye flexibility and can compensate for for hours of reading or other close work that can increase the symptoms of myopia, according to VisionWorks USA.
References
- American Optometric Association: Myopia (Nearsightedness)
- EyeCanLearn: Focusing Skills -- Near-Far Focus Shifts
- VisionWorks USA: Computer Eye Strain -- How to Relieve It
- Improve Vision Naturally.com: Eye Relaxation Exercises -- Exercises for Eye Muscle Strength and Relaxation -- Distant Night/Palming
- "Mother Earth News": Improve Your Vision Naturally with Eye Exercises -- Palming and Swinging, July/August 1983
- "Mother Earth News": Improve Your Vision Naturally with Eye Exercises -- Myopia, July/August 1983
