1. Practice the 20/20/20 rule
After 20 minutes of computer use, look away from the screen, and focus on something 20 feet away that is out a window or down a corridor. Focus on this sight for at least 20 seconds.
2. Practice the “Focus Rock” Exercise
Hold a magazine article as close to your eyes as possible so that you can see it clearly. Then, look at something at least 10 feet away and focus on that. Refocus on the near target and back to the far target. You’re zooming in and zooming out just like a camera lens.
Goals of the exercise
- The first goal of this exercise is to change focus faster.
- The second goal is to build stamina. Performing this exercise will help prevent your eyes from getting tired quickly when working on the computer.
- The third goal of this exercise is to increase the strength of your focusing ability, which increases the strength of the muscles in your eyes. (This is like adding weights to your workout.)
The exercise can also be done using the thumb: Hold your thumb six inches from your nose. Focus on your thumb. Take one deep breath and exhale slowly. Then focus on an object about 10 feet away. Take another deep breath and slowly exhale. Repeat back and forth 15 times
Do the Focus Rock for five minutes every day. “This is especially good for people in their late 30s and 40s,” says Dr. Brisco. “It helps with seeing close and may help reduce the need for reading glasses.”
Advantage
Improves eye flexibility:
3. Pencil Push-Ups
This is for eyes that “turn out.” It also helps improve convergence ability, which helps prevent eyestrain. This exercise may also prevent you from seeing “swimming print” and may help
hinder double vision.
Here is the method: take a pencil, hold it 10 inches away from your face. Bring it slowly to your nose. The goal is to bring the pencil all the way to your nose before the pencil appears to double.
Also pretend there’s a tic tac toe board in front of you: bring the pencil in from each square from the tic tac toe board. Don’t move your head, just bring the pencil in from different directions so that you’re using all six muscles around the eye.
4. Eye Stretch
Pretend there’s a bug on the edge of your eyebrow, and make your eyes move around in really big circles, as if you’re following the bug around with your eyes. You’ll feel the blood circulating, and this will get oxygen flowing. Give your eyes a good stretch every few hours.
5. Palming
The palming exercise will teach you to relax your eyes, which in turn will bring healthy energy to your eyes.
First, rub your hands together until they feel warm (about 15 to 20 seconds). Then place your cupped hands over your closed eyes, being careful not to touch your eyes with the palms of your hands. The fingers of each hand should overlap and rest gently on the center of your forehead. Don’t create any unnecessary pressure on your face. If your arms get tired, rest your elbows on a table.
Sit quietly for one to two minutes with your hands over your eyes. The more relaxed you become, the blacker the darkness you will see with your eyes closed.
6. Scanning
Sitting or standing at one end of a room, let your eyes scan around the edges of objects in the room- clocks, televisions, doors, lights, computers, etc. the object of this exercise is to keep your eyes moving in a loose and fluid way. Do this exercise for two minutes remember to breathe.
Advantage
Improves eye flexibility:
7. Hydrotherapy
Place a bowl of hot water and a bowl of cold water in front of you. The hot water should be hot but not so hot that it burns you. The cold water should be ice cold, so either put ice cubes in it or get it out of the refrigerator. Put a wash cloth in each bowl. Place the wash cloth from the bowl of hot water against your closed eyes for 30 seconds. Then do the same with the wash cloth from the bowl of cold water. Continue to alternate the hot and cold wash cloths. Finish by gently massaging your closed eyes with a dry towel. Do this for two minutes.
References
http://www.thirdage.com/features/tech/ouch/index03.html
http://www.naturaleyecare.com/pub-comp-str.asp
