Exercises for the eyes

Remember – there is no substitute for common sense. Give your eyes a rest – do not abuse your eyes while constantly looking at the screen of your computer or mobile phone. Remember that nothing regenerates the eye as much as relaxation of accommodation during a walk in pleasant surroundings, such as a good night’s sleep and … properly adopted glasses or contact lenses.

If, on the other hand, you would like to further strengthen and relax your eyes, here are some relaxation exercises.

Alternately covering your eyes with your hand.

Sit back, take it easy and relax. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax. Rub your hands vigorously until warm and gently cover your eyelids. Feel the heat transfer to your eyes and relax your eye muscles at the same time. Stay in this position until the heat from the hands is completely absorbed by the eyes. Keeping your eyes closed, repeat the process several times.

Forced blinking.

Sit comfortably with your eyes open. Blink about 10 times very quickly. Close your eyes and relax for 20 seconds, focusing your attention on your breathing. Repeat this exercise several times.

Tightening and loosening the accommodation.

Sit comfortably with your eyes open. Select an item that is at least 6 meters away and try to focus on it. Then, after about 1 minute, shift your gaze to your thumb, first within your arm’s length, and then bring your thumb 10 cm in front of the eye. Keep your eyes focused on your thumb for a few seconds. When doing the above exercise, note the following breathing pattern. As you look into the distance, breathe regularly and deeply. Take a deep breath for a few seconds when your thumb is at arm’s length, and exhale when your thumb is pressed against the tip of your nose. Stay on the exhale for a few seconds. Repeat this exercise several times and then close and relax your eyes.

Active, alternating eye movements.

Sit back, take it easy and relax. Grab a pen, pencil, or just an outstretched thumb. Straighten your arm and, within an arm’s length, move the object in the up-down axis, right – left. The head does not move, it remains motionless, while only the eyes follow the object. Try to move the item to its extreme position, but still keep it visible (without turning your head). Repeat this exercise several times and then close and relax your eyes.

Remember these are not exercises and medical recommendations in the strict sense and should not be treated as a method of treating eye diseases.

Slide Dr Krzysztof Mika, MD, PhD
Eye specialist doctor FMH
Eye surgeon FMH
Fellow European Board of Ophthalmology

Chemin des Colombettes 12
1202 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel. +41 (0) 22 733 64 46
Fax. +41 (0) 22 733 64 56
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