Did you know that other than our heart, our eye muscles are the hardest working muscle group in the body? It doesn’t matter whether you’re at work, at the gym or relaxing at home – we still stare at screens. Most of us use a mobile phone, hop on the computer or watch TV for perhaps 1 – 3 hours a day. These habits weaken our eye muscles, making them tired and less efficient, which in turn weakens our eyesight and exacerbates existing problems. If you are lucky and are farming and spend most of your time outdoors at least the 1st of these exercises is a natural for you. The other 4 easy exercises will reduce the strain on your eyes – a leading cause of tension and tiredness. Important: Take a 20-second break between each set.
1. Focusing on Different Distances: This exercise works on the inner eye muscles. Sets: 3
Stand or sit comfortably.
Place your thumb approximately 10 inches away from your face and focus on it.
Take a deep breath and focus on an object that’s 10-20ft away.
Repeat by changing focus between objects with every deep breath.
2. Stretching the Medial and Lateral Eye Muscles: This exercise will stretch and strengthen the muscles that control the eye’s horizontal and vertical movement. Repetitions: 3 Sets: 3
Sit comfortably while maintaining an upright position.
Look at the leftmost point you can without moving your head. Focus on this point for 5 seconds.
Blink a few times and return the eye to its normal resting state.
Look at the rightmost point you can without moving your head. Focus on that point for 5 seconds.
Blink a few times and return the eye to its normal resting state.
Repeat the exercise by looking at the upper-most/lowest point. Remember to blink between each stretch.
3. Relaxing the Eyes: This exercise will reduce tension and stress around the eyes and is recommended when taking a break from working on the computer. Duration: 5-10 minutes
Sit comfortably and take a few deep breaths.
Lean your elbows on a desk (place a pillow underneath to reduce strain on the elbows).
Rub your palms together to warm them up.
Close your eyes and cover them with your palms. Your fingers should be on your forehead, and the bottom of your palms should lean on your cheekbones.
Make sure not to put pressure on your eyes by pressing your palms on them. To be sure, try blinking.
Remain in this state for 5-10 minutes (it’s recommended that you use a timer).
If your eyes still feel tired, repeat it.
4. Massaging the Eyes, Temples, and eyebrows: This exercise relaxes the eyes and reduces strain and tension by increasing blood flow to these areas. Additionally, the mild pressure on the tear ducts will increase the moistness in the eyes, which provides relief for tired eyes.
5. Number 8 Movement: This exercise will strengthen the eye muscles and will improve their flexibility. Repetitions: 10 per direction Sets: 3
Imagine the number 8 lying down (∞).
Track that shape with your eyes – do this slowly without moving your head.
After completing 10 repetitions to one direction, blink for a few seconds, then perform 10 more repetitions to the other direction.
