Working at the computer, with papers in the office, assembling small parts behind a conveyor belt for a long time - all this tires the eyes and sooner or later can lead to myopia.However, simple but regular exercise can not only be an excellent preventative measure against vision loss, but also prevent diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma.
Who invented eye exercises?
Already in ancient times, the problems of restoring vision worried the minds of great scientists, priests and thinkers.Gradually, through trial and error, a certain system of exercises was created, echoes of which can be found in the works of Bates and other authors.Many experts criticize these exercise systems, but others consider them completely reasonable and acceptable.
Many ophthalmologists were also involved in the development of eye exercises, in particular a professor who worked for many years in senior positions at the Eye Disease Research Institute.Under his leadership, a set of exercises was also developed aimed at improving blood circulation, normalizing intraocular pressure and increasing visual acuity.
Currently, in addition to the usual eye exercises that a person can perform, there are computer programs and special hardware methods for vision correction.
Exercises to improve vision according to the teacher's method
General strengthening exercises.Although many people believe that if you are nearsighted, just doing a few eye exercises is enough, it turns out that a sedentary lifestyle and poor physical fitness contribute to the progression of myopia.The opposite is also true: daily exercise and moderate physical work are excellent ways to prevent vision loss.
In the 80s of the last century, it was discovered that the following types of physical activity help to strengthen the ciliary muscle of the eye and improve blood circulation, if the pulse is in the range of 100 to 140 beats per minute:
- running;
- walking;
- skiing;
- swimming.
However, when performing the same exercises with a heart rate of 180 beats per minute, as well as when jumping rope, gymnastics and acrobatics, progression of myopia is observed due to deterioration of accommodation and blood circulation in the eye.
How can you determine your heart rate to get the most visual benefits when running or walking?Of course, you can simply measure using special instruments or count the number of heartbeats for 10 seconds and then multiply by 6. If this seems difficult, you can use the following method: physical activity is considered moderate if a person is able to speak short, abrupt phrases or phrases during sports.If the load is very heavy, which will be harmful to the eyes, there is only enough breathing to pronounce only short words, for example, “yes”, “no”, “I don't know”, etc.
Special exercises
They are divided into three groups: to improve blood circulation and accommodation, as well as to strengthen the eye muscles.
Exercises to improve blood circulation and normalize intraocular pressure
The purpose of these exercises is that you need to periodically with your eyes:
- blink frequently (for example, for a quarter of a minute), then take a short break to rest and repeat again 4 times;
- close your eyes for 5 seconds (do it 8 times);
- Gently massage your eyes through closed eyelids for 1 minute, then press them 3-4 times with three fingers for one second.
Exercises to strengthen the eye muscles
The muscles of the eyeball become stronger and maintain their shape if we gently move our gaze, without turning our head:
- vertically from top to bottom, from bottom to top;
- along one, then the second diagonal in the direction from top to bottom;
- horizontally left-right;
- rotate clockwise and vice versa.
It is advisable to do almost all exercises in this block up to 10 times.
Exercises for visual acuity
The exercises in this group are based on moving your gaze from near to far and back (while your gaze remains fixed in each position for 3-5 seconds).It could be:
- bring the index finger from the nose to the face (so that its image becomes double) and remove it with the arm extended;
- looking at a colored mark on the window at eye level and looking at a distant object located along our line of sight for 5 to 7 minutes daily.
Useful and fun exercises for children
Not every child can do these exercises several times a day.And this is where games that train eye accommodation and strengthen muscles come to the rescue.It is important to exclude those games where there is a high probability of blows to the face, collisions, strong efforts or efforts.
The following activities can largely replace “boring” exercises for children and help improve vision:
- short, quick run (patching, catching up);
- catch and pass the ball;
- throw a ball (a small bag of sand) at a wall or target on the floor.
During school hours, approximately in the middle of class, it is advisable to blink quickly for 30 seconds and then sit for 1 minute with your eyes closed, leaning back in your chair.