We all know the importance of regular exercises to maintain healthy body and healthy mind. Similarly, eye exercises are also important for healthy eyes and vision. Though it is still unclear whether there exists a co-relation between eye exercises and refractive errors, few studies say that certain exercise help to delay the onset of some of refractive errors if practiced faithfully.¹

A study conducted in China demonstrated that the eye exercises of ancient Chinese medication system (acupoints) had a modest effect on relieving ocular-based near vision symptoms in urban children aged 6 to 17 years. However, no remarkable effect on reducing myopia was observed in this study.² Similarly a study conducted in India found minor improvement in refractive errors.³

Doctors may prescribe eye exercises if you are suffering from:⁴

• Trouble focusing eyes to read
• One eye that drifts outward or inward (convergence insufficiency)
• Had surgery and need to improve muscle control
• Crossed eyes (strabismus)
• Lazy eye (amblyopia)
• Double vision
• Trouble with depth perception (poor 3D vision)

If your eyes are tired from excessive close-up work like working long on computer screens then good reliver to get rid of this eye strain is to look at distant object for few minutes. Exercising eye muscle will not eliminate like shortsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism (imperfection in the curvature of cornea or lens of the eye leading to blurred vision), presbyopia (gradual loss of ability of the eye to focus on nearby objects with ageing which becomes noticeable after 40 years of age), glaucoma or macular degeneration.

Eye exercises strengthen eye muscles, help to focus, ease eye movements, and stimulate brain’s vision centre. Gradually practicing them will make the muscle control better. Exercise regime will be dependent on factors like age and eye condition.

Here are some exercises you can try on⁴

• The 20-20-20 rule. When you’re focused on a task, pause every 20 minutes to focus on something that’s 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
• Blink break. You blink less when you’re focused on a TV or computer screen. If you start to notice dry eyes or the beginnings of a headache, stop and try to blink at a normal rate.
• Palms for relaxation. Gently cup your palms over your closed eyes until all the afterimages fade to black, about 30 seconds. Make sure not to put any pressure on your eyes.
• Figure eight. Imagine a big number 8 turned on its side about 10 feet in front of you. Slowly sketch it with your eyes several times. Then go the other direction.
• Roll your eyes. Look right and left several times without moving your head. Then look up and down several times.
• Near and far. This is good for people who wear glasses. Take them off and hold your thumbs in the air, one near your face and one farther away. For 2 seconds each, focus on the near thumb, then the far one, something across the room, and something even farther away, like across the street.

There is also a regime for eye health called “Vision Therapy” similar to the physical exercises we do for healthy body. Eye exercises can be part of vision therapy. Doctor may prescribe a vision therapy to improve visual skill, make you more comfortable, and change how your brain interprets what you see. This includes use of special lenses, prisms, patches, electronic targets, or balance boards.⁴

So do remember that as your body needs physical work outs eyes need them to!