Eye Training Exercises

While only part of a vision-training program, visual therapy exercises aim at improving a patient's sight, eye comfort and information processing ability. Used in conjunction with doctor-supervised in-office sessions as well as corrective lenses, special software and other devices, this alternative treatment also attempts to overcome learning difficulties associated with vision. Many vision therapy exercises require no special training or equipment and can be done anywhere to relax tired eyes and train ocular muscle response.

Eye-Movement Exercises

• Follow an imaginary figure-eight shape using only your eyes while trying to observe the details in the background. Alternate by changing the figure-eight pattern to the horizontal, reversing the direction your eyes follow or by rolling your eyes in a circular motion.

The Alphaball

• Write letters of various legible sizes on a beach ball or kick ball using a thick marker, then suspend it on a string from a ceiling or branch. Swing or spin the ball slowly, then call out the letters as you see them to practice and enhance associative skills.

Thumb Focusing

• Hold your thumb up at arms' length, moving it in slow circular motions. Keeping your head motionless, follow the thumb's movement with your eyes, keeping it in focus along with as much of the room as possible. Repeat several times a day.

Soothing with Heat

• Soothe strained eyes by rubbing your hands together to generate heat. Cup your palms over your closed eyes without contacting the eyelids. Breathe deeply, repeat brisk rubbing and reapply. Continue until your eyes feel refreshed.

Headline Scanning

• Maintain focusing ability and reduce the blurred vision that comes from close detail work or looking at a monitor all day by attaching the front page of a newspaper to a surface around 8 feet from your work area. Scan the page at 10-minute intervals, taking in the different-sized print of the headlines and content.

Close Detail Focusing

• Holding a small object like a cellular phone, personal palm device or remote control, focus on one specific detail. Move the item gradually away from you while maintaining your focus on the chosen detail. Stop moving the item when the part you are focusing on becomes blurry, then bring it back toward you so that it resolves into focus again.

The Three-Bead Test

• Attach one end of a 6-foot long yarn to a wall at eye level. Slide three beads onto the string so that one is at the wall, another is 2 feet further in and the last is a foot from the loose end of the yarn. Holding the line taut to the tip of your nose, focus on the farthest bead so that the yarn appears to extend back from it in two lines like a "V." Focusing on the center bead should make the yarn appear to be composed of two strings in an "X" shape with the bead at the center. Looking at the bead closest to your nose should result in a similar X-shaped image. If focusing on any of the beads shows only the single line of yarn, there could be an imbalance of information flow from the weaker eye; consider consulting a behavioral optometrist.