We realize the importance of anything when either it’s not there or malfunctions. Otherwise we continue to abuse it, taking it for granted. This is true for our cars, computers, natural resources or even our bodies. In the pursuit of material gains we tax ourselves to the limit. Eyes are no exception to this assault. Plagued with numerous devises gazing at computer screens, mobiles, televisions for long hours is a mundane exercise. We all are aware of the need to exercise and stretch, but how many of us extend this thought to our eyes!
Exercise word may evoke thoughts of dumbbells or pushups but eyes too need to be exercised! Given below are some of them:
1. Rub your palms till they are warm and put them over your closed eyes without applying pressure over eyeballs. It’s to be done for 5-15 minutes, twice a day.
2. Blinking often helps to spread the tear film uniformly over the dry eyes which get strained after long hours of work in front of computers and television.
3. Sitting on a chair look straight and then breathe in while turning to look at the left without moving the head. Now breathe out while bringing the gaze back to centre, without moving the head. Now similarly look up and down while inhaling and exhale while bringing the gaze back to center.
4. Look straight while sitting on a chair and inhale. Then exhale while turning the eyes clockwise. Now repeat the same but this time anticlockwise.
5. Look straight ahead and open your eyes as wide as possible, then clench your eyes as tight as possible for about 3 seconds. Then relax the muscles. This helps to relax strained eyes. Repeat it 7-8 times.
6. Look straight ahead and stare at the tip of a pen held at an arm’s length. Now bring the pen closer gradually without blinking, till it touches the nose. Then take it away to the original position. Initially it may cause some stain but it gets better with practice.
7. Standing or sitting in a room at a corner, scan the objects in the room, freely moving the eyes from one object to another, corner to corner, for a few minutes. The fluid motion of your eyes helps relax them.
8. Imagine seeing a giant 10 feet long figure of 8 and trace the figure by rotating the eyes, firstly in one direction and then the opposite way. Now imagine it placed horizontally and repeat the previous steps. Do this for a few minutes daily.
9. Stare at a distant object, placed more than 50 meters away, for few seconds and then shift gaze to a nearby placed object, placed within 10 meters, in the same direction as the initial gaze. Do the exercise for 5 times a day.
10. On a sunny day stare at the sun with eyes closed. Now rotate the head in all directions slowly, so that sunlight can reach up to the areas involved in peripheral vision inside the eye. Remember to keep the eye closed! It can be done with a bright desk lamp too. This exercise also helps to increase the blood circulation in the next. This can be done once a day.
Doing them religiously will help you relax your precious eyes which stay awake from the time you get up till you hit the bed again!
