We very quickly associate the word ‘exercise' with images of heavy all-body workouts, rigorous stretches and compressions, and rippling muscles and sweat. But there's more than one kind of exercise, and it's extremely important to exercise our eyes to maintain healthy vision. Our sight is one of our most privileged senses, and yet we take it for granted until it starts going wrong.

Eye exercises do not eat up too much time. Fifteen to twenty minutes a day is enough! The eye exercises can help concretely to reduce fatigue and stress on the eyes and even guide some vision problems toward correction.

Find Out How Eye Exercises Can Benefit You!

Usually we tend to just move our gaze minimally, especially, when reading, from left to right. We turn our faces, our heads, if we want to see something else. But to give the eye muscles a good workout, move your eyes in all directions while holding your head still. Regular use of eye muscles will strengthen them, just like regular exercise strengthens the arm and thigh muscles. This movement can also prevent eyestrain and enhance sight.

The basic eye exercises are: palming, sunning, swinging and vision shifting.

Eye Exercise 1

Do the following at least twice a day for 5 to 15 minutes. Rub your hands together to warm them up. Alternatively, shake them or hold them over a heat vent. Then close your eyes and cover them with your hands. Do not touch your eyelids with any part of your hands, do not rest your cheekbones on your hands. Put the weight of your head on your hands on the forehead only. Then look into the darkness. Can you see spots, ribbons or zaps of light? Wait until it's completely dark. No need to hurry.

Then look at the dark. If you see spots or zaps of light, wait till you see the dark. Don't hurry. Do this at least twice a day for 5 to 15 minutes.

Eye Exercise 2

Do the following for 3-5 minutes every day. Best on a sunny day, although a desk lamp with an incandescent bulb will also do the trick. Close your eyes and look at the sun through the closed eyes. Still facing the sun, rotate your head from side to side, slowly, as far as you can. As a result, sunlight will reach your peripheral vision. Enjoy the warmth of the sun on your eyes! The bonus: improved blood circulation to your neck and head.

Eye Exercise 3

This one does double-duty for your eyes and your back. Stand with feet apart a shoulder-width. Leave your arms hanging loose at your sides. Look out of a window. Shift your body weight to your right foot. Swing your upper body to the right while letting your left heel step off the floor. Notice your surroundings as you swing. A tree or a car seen through the window or in the distance will seem to move opposite to the direction of your swing. Now switch and repeat.

Health Benefits of Eye Exercises

For those who have to work in front of a computer, eyestrain and tension will dissipate as you continue with the exercises outlined. Weak or dry eyes, macular degeneration, and a host of other sight issues will be impacted positively by these exercises. Remember that eye health depends largely on the strength of the eye muscles. Thus it is crucial that you keep the eye muscles active and well-toned. The ophthalmic nerves will begin to receive enriched blood supply from your body, which will clear and enhance your vision.