Eye-Strengthening Exercises

Our eyes are made up of a network of tiny muscles that experience quite a bit of usage, strain and stress in a given day. Just like any other muscle in the body, the eyes need exercise to keep them in good working order. Many ophthalmologists prescribe eye-strengthening exercises to improve sight problems and various eye conditions. However, exercising the eyes holds many benefits for people with normal vision as well.

Benefits of Eye-Strengthening Exercises

• Eye-strengthening exercises help the eyes to relax, which leads to better focusing. Since your eyes come into play for many daily activities, from seeing to balancing, eye exercises help to improve coordination, reading skills and concentration. They also remedy eyestrain, prevent eye fatigue, and lubricate dry eyes, a common condition among people who work long hours at a computer.

Eye Exercises for Vision Problems

• Dr. William Bates, an ophthalmologist in New York, led the way in the early 20th century in linking the benefits of eye-strengthening exercises with sight improvements. Patients who were nearsighted or farsighted showed marked improvement in their vision after doing certain types of eye exercises. Exercising the eye also improves lazy-eye conditions and astigmatism.

Types of Eye-Strengthening Exercises

• The two different types of eye-strengthening exercises are designed to either foster relaxation or correct vision problems.

  Relaxation eye-strengthening exercises can be done at any time of the day for at least 30 minutes to realize the best outcome. One eye-relaxing exercise involves closing your eyes and covering them gently with the palms of your hands to prevent any light from filtering in. Breathe deeply and relax by focusing on the blackness. This exercise is best done for 10 minutes while sitting at a table.

  People with dry eyes can try blinking their eyes while focusing on a certain object or a spot on a distant wall. Try to take a few breaks each day to do 100 blinking exercises.

  For correcting vision problems, eye exercises strengthen eye muscles and foster eye flexibility. A common exercise for people with vision problems is to hold a small object close to their face and slowly move it away while their eyes stay focused on it.

  Another eye exercise technique requires you to hold a magazine upside down and away from you until the words are blurred. Then focus on one word and try to identify the letters in it. Set aside 30 minutes a day to perform eye-strengthening exercises for vision or eye problems.

  To strengthen eye muscles, roll your eyes clockwise starting from the 12 o'clock position. Repeat several times, keeping a slow and steady pace while inhaling and exhaling naturally. Next, move your eyes from side to side, holding the position a few seconds at each side.