Eye Exercises to Strenghten Eye Muscles

Despite being an avid reader I avoided glasses till I reached the 10th Class. Then with the combined effect of studies and sleepless nights I began to get solid headaches. That is when I was taken in for eye tests and came back with spectacles. The number was quite low. +0.05 and I was instructed to wear them all the time.

As any teenager would, I reacted quite badly to the news. Although my mom got me some nice frames, I felt I looked aweful. That is when my Grandpa told me to do this set of eye exercises. He said if I did them regularly I would not spoil my eyes any further, as the eye muscles would get a good work out and become stronger.

Having nothing to lose, I started out and was doing them daily for about nine months. It would take me about 15-20 minutes to do the whole set. Then as i went into the tenth month, I started getting my headaches again. Oh no! I though to myself, now i'll get an increased number and will look like an absolute horror.

Off I went to the optician again. This time I was in  for a pleasant surprise. When he had finished testing my eyes, he asked for my glasses. He then checked them for the numbers and asked me who gave them to me? I told him I was prescribed glasses 10 months ago. Guess what he said? You don't need glasses. Just get rid of them and your headaches should vanish. And they did.

It wasn't till 15 years later that I got glasses again, that was a year ago. I know I must start the eye exercises again and I might just get rid of them this time as well. All it takes is 15- to 20 minutes a day. If only I can do it as regularly as I did them as a child.

Step one

With the middle finger gently massage the closed eye lids. Now open the eyes and fix two points. One in the distance and one right up close. Now close your eyes and open and focus on the far away point for 10 seconds and then shift to the close by point for 10 seconds. Repeat ten times.

Step two

Close your eyes. Look up and rotate the eyeballs clockwise for 5 circles and then close them again. Now look down and rotate them anti clock wise for 5 more times.

Step three

Now look up and then look down. Follow the line of sight. You must not go from one point at top to one point at bottom right away. Slowly follow all the points that make an arc. Now again slowly look up. Do this ten times.

Step four

Now its time to look from right to left and back again. In the same way that you did in step three. Again repeat the exercise 10 times.

Step five

Next we look from left top to bottom right. Again follow the arc as you go diagonally up and down. Repeat 10 times.

Step six

Now we make the arc from right top to bottom left. Again do the eye movements 10 times.

Step seven

So far all the eye movements have been smooth and flowing. Now starting at the top we move the eyes clock wise to right top, right, right bottom, bottom, left bottom, left, left top and top again. It is like doing the clockwise circuit, only you go directly to a point in that direction and pause a second before you move to the next. Repeat 5 times. Do the exact same thing in reverse. So move anti clockwise and pause in all the cardinal directions. Again repeat 5 times.

Step eight

Now close your eyes and count till ten. Relax the eye muscles. Your eye exercises are done.