Strengthen your eye muscles with this simple eye exercise

They may not be able to fix your vision, but these exercises can help strengthen eye muscles.

While most vision problems require prescription lenses or LASIK surgery, in some cases eye exercises may be used to help strengthen eyes and alleviate some symptoms. However, there is argument over how effective these practices really are. While they may help with certain symptoms such as eyestrain, headaches, or sensitivity to light, they will not help people with nearsightedness, dyslexia, or excessive squinting or blinking.

In fact, any eye problem that involves the shape of the eye or its basic anatomy will not be helped by eye exercises. The shape of your eye determines your basic refractive error, so there is little chance that you will be able to do away with your prescription even after an intense eye exercise regimen. Anyone who tries to tell you different is probably trying to sell you something.

However, if you want to try out some eye exercises in an attempt to reduce eyestrain or help your tired eyes, there is no harm in trying out these exercises. They are designed to strengthen the eye muscles, improve focusing, and stimulate the vision centers of the brain.

• Start by focusing on an object over 150 feet away. Focus on the object for at least ten seconds, and then gradually move your focus to a closer object less than 30 feet away. Again, focus for at least ten seconds, and then move your eyes back to the distant object. Repeat this process five times.
• Hold a pen or pencil in front of you at arms length, and slowly move it towards your face while following the pen with your eyes until you cannot focus on it any longer. Repeat this ten times.
• Find a blank wall and sit ten to fifteen feet away from it. Stare at the wall and pretend that you are writing by moving your eyes. Make sure you are keeping your head still. The bigger the letters you make, the bigger the effect will be as you move your eyes.
• Pretend you are standing in front of a large clock. Stare at the middle of the clock and then move your focus out to one of the hour marks without moving your head. Bring your vision back to the middle of the clock and repeat this for every hour mark.
• You can also practice rhythmic movements with your eyes. Focus on an object ten to fifteen feet away from you and sway your body while keeping your focus on the object. Do this for two to three minutes. You can also try closing one eye and slowly forming a figure eight with your head. Do this for two or three minutes and then switch eyes.

You aren’t going to cure real medical issues using eye exercises, but you can strengthen your eye muscles and relieve eyestrain with some of these simple exercises. If you are having issues with your vision and would like more information, please contact our vision experts today.

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