Eyeglasses & Eye Care Info

Cases in which eye exercises help usually involve patients whose short-sightedness results not only from genetics, but also from environmental factors such as doing too much “close focus” work — reading or looking at a computer screen, for example. The possible benefit of doing eye exercises as opposed to relying on glasses or contacts is that exercises can help solve the underlying problem, perhaps helping you avoid the need for stronger and stronger prescriptions as time goes by.
         The most notable exercises for improving short sightedness are part of the Bates Method, named for ophthalmologist Dr. William H. Bates. The exercises first relax the eye muscles, thus allowing you to retrain your eyes to focus with minimal strain. One example of a Bates exercise that can be performed daily is to sit in a chair and cover one eye with your palm. Hold a book or magazine six to eight inches in front of your free eye, while also having something to focus on about seven feet away. Focus on the close-up material, then look at the farther object until it becomes equally clear, spending only a couple of seconds on it. Alternate focusing on one and the other for a minute or two, then change eyes. Perform this exercise every day for about a month.
       When doing eye exercises, you should not use glasses or contacts unless otherwise instructed by your eye doctor or another expert. Do the exercises in non-glaring light. Avoid straining your eyes while doing the exercises. Be sure to rest your eyes at the end of each exercise. Early in the morning is the best time to do the exercises because our eyes tend to be tired after a day at work. However, you can split up the exercises — doing some in the morning and some in the evening, for example — to best fit your daily schedule.