We all know how important it is to keep our bodies fit and active with a daily exercise routine, but did you know this also applies to our eyes? Eye gymnastics was created to strengthen the eye muscles, improve focus, eye movements, and stimulate the visual cortex of the brain. While there is no scientific evidence that exercising your eyes regularly improves vision, it can help counter existing problems and maintain your current level of visual quality.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prepare the Eyes
Step 1. Talk to your eye doctor about eye gymnastics
There is no clear scientific evidence that exercising your eyes regularly improves vision. So before starting any activity it is a good idea to have your eye examined by your trusted ophthalmologist. He will be able to diagnose any type of vision problem. Before you start practicing eye gymnastics, you should ask your ophthalmologist if the type of exercises you choose can bring real benefits to your eyes.
- Remember that this type of exercise cannot cure eye problems such as nearsightedness (difficulty in focusing on distant objects), presbyopia (decrease in the accommodation capacity of the eye) or astigmatism (visual defect caused by the shape of the cornea). Most eye doctors are skeptical of eye gymnastics' ability to solve vision problems for which corrective eyewear is required.
- However, trying ocular gymnastics does not cause any harm unless your eyes are already suffering from a condition that can be aggravated by prolonged exertion. If your eyes have serious defects such as cataracts, blindness of one or both organs, or corneal injury, do not practice this type of exercise.
Step 2. "Palming"
This exercise reduces the visual stimulus that reaches the eyes and brain. Closing the eyes by applying light pressure with the eyelids causes the tear film to spread evenly, favoring relaxation of the eyes.
- Sit in a chair and make yourself comfortable. Rub your hands to warm them slightly.
- Close your eyes and gently cover them with the palms of your hands placed in the shape of a cup. Avoid putting pressure on the eyeballs. Your nose must remain completely free to ensure proper ventilation during the massage.
- Make sure that light cannot filter through the cracks between the fingers or the space between the palm of the hand and the nose. The light instead of relaxing the eyes stimulates them, effectively canceling the relaxation process. Imagine yourself in complete darkness and focused on it.
- Breathe deeply and slowly at a steady pace as you focus on an image that calms you down, such as an empty beach, a clear lake, or a towering, still mountain. When you see nothing but complete darkness, remove your palms from your eyes.
- Repeat this exercise for 3 minutes or longer.
Step 3. Massage your eyes
This exercise increases the blood circulation of the face and around the eyes, preparing them for gymnastics.
- Use hot and cold compresses: Dip one towel in hot water and one in cold water. Place the hot compress on your face making sure it covers your eyebrows, closed eyelids and cheeks. After three minutes, remove the hot compress from your face and apply the cold one. Alternate the two tablets as you wish, but make sure you complete the treatment with the cold one. Exposing the face to different temperatures causes an alternation of vasodilation and vasoconstriction, physiological changes that determine a stimulation of the face and the eye contour.
- Perform a full facial massage: soak a towel in warm water. Rub it on your neck, forehead and cheeks. Then use your fingertips to gently massage your forehead and closed eyes.
- Massage your eyelids: wash your hands thoroughly. Close your eyes and massage them with circular movements of your fingers for about 1-2 minutes. During the massage make sure you put minimal pressure on your eyes. This will help stimulate the eyes.
Part 2 of 2: Exercise the Eyes
Step 1. Stimulate focus near and far
This exercise strengthens the muscles inside the eyes and helps maintain current vision.
- Sit in a chair or stand upright, facing an object-free wall. Place your thumb about 26cm away from your face and focus on it. Alternatively, you can focus your view on an object placed at a distance of 3-4 meters for a time of 10-15 seconds.
- Now focus on an object placed at a distance of 3-6 meters in front of you without moving your head. Focus on the object of your interest for 10-15 seconds.
- After 10-15 seconds, refocus your sight on your thumb. Do this exercise 5 times.
Step 2. Perform "zooming"
This exercise is great for training eye focus. It consists of continuing to change the distance of an object trying to keep it correctly in focus.
- Sit in a comfortable position.
- Extend your arm out in front of you with the thumb of your hand facing up.
- Focus your sight on your thumb, then bring it closer to you without looking away, until it is about 8 cm away from your face.
- Move your thumb away from your face until your arm is fully extended.
- Do three more repetitions of the movement sequence and do it once a week.
- Alternatively, you can perform this exercise by holding a pencil in front of you while fully extending your arm. Then slowly bring it towards your nose. Keep following the pencil with your gaze until you are no longer able to see it in perfect focus.
Step 3. Draw an 8 with your eyes
This is a great exercise for increasing eye movement control.
- Imagine you see a large 8 drawn on the floor about 20 feet in front of you.
- Slowly follow the contours of the 8 with your eyes.
- Continue to draw the figure following the same direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) for a few minutes, then change the direction and repeat the exercise for the same amount of time.
Step 4. Make rhythmic movements with your eyes
These types of movements help strengthen the eyes and hand-eye coordination.
- Swing. This exercise is useful for testing the brain's ability to keep the body balanced and coordinated when focusing on an object. Stand in front of a fence, a barred window, or any other object that has equidistant vertical lines. Focus your gaze on a distant object beyond the bars. Relax your body and transfer the weight from one foot to the other. Keep breathing steadily and relaxed. Don't forget to blink while practicing this exercise. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
- Alternative version of "swinging". This exercise serves to strengthen the peripheral vision of the eye. Focus your view on a distant object that is close to the ground. Swing with your body as explained for the previous exercise, keeping your gaze fixed on the same object. As you sway with your body, use your peripheral vision to observe your surroundings. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
Step 5. Do directional exercises
Moving your eyes in different directions is a great way to exercise them.
- Stay upright or sit down. Look straight ahead. Without moving your head, move your gaze to the left, then to the right. Repeat the movement 5 times. Do three repetitions of the full exercise.
- Without moving your head, look down. So look up. Focus on what you can see. Again do 3 repetitions.
- Without moving your head, look straight ahead. Then move your gaze to the lower left corner focusing on what you see, then move it in the opposite direction that is to the upper right corner, always observing what you can see. Repeat the movement 5 times. Now look straight ahead again and repeat the exercise by moving your gaze from the lower right corner to the upper left corner. Again perform 3 full reps.
Step 6. Complete the series of exercises with "palming"
After an intense exercise session it is always good to finish with palming in order to relax the eyes.
