How to Strengthen Your Eye Muscles

The health and well-being of our eyes is placed in jeopardy today more than ever. We use our vision in stressful ways on a daily basis. It is easy to maintain eye health and increase eye muscle strength with some simple practices. They can improve vision by exercising your eyes several times a day. Others are good to use once a week to help keep your eyes clean, fresh and relaxed for focusing.

Things You'll Need

• Pebble

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Instructions

Blinking Activity

• 1

  Close your eyes for one minute.

• 2

  Open your eyes and, for the next two minutes, blink once every five seconds.

• 3

  Close your eyes again for one minute.

• 4

  Open your eyes and, for the next three minutes, blink once every five seconds.

Palming Activity

• 5

  Lean forward and, with your elbows on your knees, cover your eyes tightly with your hands.

• 6

  Open your eyes, and move them in a circle a few times.

• 7

  Blink rapidly for 30 seconds.

• 8

  Imagine an object floating a few feet in front of you in the darkness. Focus on the object intently, then relax. Do this several more times.

• 9

  Blink rapidly for 30 seconds.

Figure Eight

• 10

  Imagine a large neon number 8 floating a few feet in front of you on its side, and slowly trace the outline with your eyes several times.

• 11

  Stop and trace the figure in the other direction several times.

• 12

  Repeat for a few minutes.

Focusing Near and Far

• 13

  Place your thumb about 8 inches in front of your face, and stare at it for 15 seconds, blinking every five seconds.

• 14

  Pick an object about 15 feet in front of you. Stare at it for 15 seconds, blinking every five seconds.

• 15

  Switch your vision to your thumb, and stare at it again for 15 seconds, again blinking every five seconds.

Zooming

• 16

  Stretch your arm out, and raise your thumb.

• 17

  Move your thumb toward your face slowly until your thumb touches your nose. Keep your eyes on your thumb, and blink every five seconds.

• 18

  Slowly return your arm to the fully extended position. Keep your eyes on your thumb, and blink every five seconds.

• 19

  Repeat for several minutes.

Color Appreciation

• 20

  Choose a color, and look for it everywhere around you throughout the day. Concentrate on finding this color.

• 21

  When you see the color, do not move toward the it; instead, move your vision to where the color is.

• 22

  Concentrate on telling the difference between different shades, tones and patterns of the color you are working with that day.

Aqua Therapy

• 23

  Fill a sink almost full with cool or lukewarm water.

• 24

  Place a small object, such as a pebble, in the bottom of the sink.

• 25

  Place your face into the water, and slowly open your eyes.

• 26

  Move your eyes up and down and from side to side several times.

• 27

  Pull your face out of the water; close your eyes, and move them around. Breathe deeply for a minute, then return your face to the water.

• 28

  Open your eyes, and stare are the small object for a few seconds before closing your eyes for a few seconds. Open your eyes, and stare at the object again. Repeat this several times.

• 29

  Remove your face from the water and, with your eyes closed, move your eyes around while taking several deep breaths.

• 30

  Return your face to the water, and swirl your eyes clockwise, then counter-clockwise, for a couple of minutes. Close your eyes, and remove your face from the water. With your eyes still closed, gently massage the eyes and the areas around the eye sockets.