Eye gymnastics in combination with other techniques will not only increase the tone of the muscles of the visual apparatus, but also help improve vision. It is only important not to forget your daily training and perform the exercises correctly. Before starting gymnastics, you must visit a qualified ophthalmologist. The doctor will make a diagnosis and assess the quality of your vision. Today, several effective methods of non-surgical vision improvement have been developed, so it is better to entrust the choice of the best to a specialist.
Rules for performing gymnastics
Despite the fact that in our time there are several proven methods used for medical purposes to restore vision with the help of gymnastics, they must be carried out following the same rules. Therefore, before choosing one or another recovery method, read the recommendations of ophthalmologists:
- Only gymnastics done regularly will bring benefits. The regime must be followed. Choose a gym routine for yourself - twice a day, once in the morning or evening, once every few days. Remember that consistency and the absence of omissions are the key to the effectiveness of the complex.
- Be patient when doing the exercises. You shouldn't even start doing gymnastics if you're in a rush to get somewhere. Then the opposite effect will occur. You run the risk of not straining properly or, on the contrary, overloading your eye muscles and thus worsening the effect of gymnastics.
- Do not exaggerate. Do not think that the more often you repeat gymnastic exercises, the faster you will feel the healing effect. This is far from the truth, and with your useless efforts you will contribute to unnecessary strain on the visual apparatus.
- Keep breaks. You should not start each new exercise as soon as you finish the previous one. Sit for about half a minute with your eyelids closed and only then start doing a new exercise.
- Rest. There is no benefit to doing gymnastics and at the same time constantly sitting in front of the computer day and night. If you decide to take on the task of restoring your vision, be prepared for the fact that you will need to approach this process comprehensively - both from a nutritional point of view and from the point of view of your daily routine.
Palming according to WG Bates
Before starting gymnastics, you need to properly prepare for it. Just like in sports, you can't come home to the gym and immediately carry a heavy weight on your chest. The effect will be zero and you run the risk of tearing your muscles, straining your back or getting a hernia. The same happens with the visual apparatus. It must be properly prepared before moving on to a block of effective and complex exercises.
Ophthalmologists have developed a small complex that allows you to relax your eyes and adequately prepare them for the subsequent stress on the muscles during gymnastics. Palming is an essential part of any gymnastics to restore vision.
Palming is a very popular and simple exercise for relaxing the muscles of the visual system. This exercise uses both palms. The palming principle consists of the following steps:
- It is necessary to warm your palms. The best way to do this is to rub them until they are slightly red and hot.
- Fold your palms so that they touch your inner ribs and are in the same plane.
- Bend your elbows, finding a support point (for example, a table or knees) and close your eyes with your palms so that only the fingers of one hand are on top of the other.
- Spend 5 to 7 minutes in this position. If necessary, repeat after some time.
The essence of palming is to cause so-called "rays" in the eyes. However, you should not press on the eyeballs.
This simple exercise can improve vision and is effective for myopia and hyperopia. When palming, the heat from the palms affects the facial nerves as well as the eye muscles, relaxing them and providing them with blood flow. Such regular training can even change the angle of the eyeball, that is, you can count on a noticeable positive effect even with strabismus. Just squeeze your fingers as hard as possible so that the light doesn't penetrate through them. It is important that when performing palming you relax as much as possible, stay in a comfortable and relaxing position.
At the initial stage of palming, you may feel not very pleasant sensations in the eye area, pain and a feeling of pressure "from the inside". This is a completely normal condition and after a few exercises the discomfort will disappear.
Exercise number 1. I am writing to you…
Although the previous exercise relieved tension in the visual system, the muscles did not relax completely. We will do exactly that now. Unfortunately, many people, trying to restore their vision and relax it as much as possible, forget that the neck is also involved in all exercises, as it also needs attention. It is from the neck region that blood flows to the eyes and thus nutrition is supplied. We will try to do everything to return this process to normal after numerous violations when working in front of the monitor. To perform the gymnastics, you will need a chair or a mat, as it can be performed in two positions: sitting and lying down.
To achieve the right result from gymnastics you need:
- Get into a comfortable lying or sitting position.
- Closed eyes.
- To relax.
- Imagine that there is a pen stuck to the tip of your nose and you urgently need to write a letter.
- Now you can start drawing simple pictures or writing entire words, but certainly with your nose, without helping yourself with your hands.
- The neck must also participate in this process.
- First, try writing the entire alphabet.
- Increasing the difficulty, try to reproduce your favorite verse or at least a few verses from it.
Exercise number 2. See through your fingers
Another exercise can relieve eye fatigue. Its implementation is also not limited to a certain pose. You need:
- Bend your elbows.
- Open your fingers.
- Bring your palms to your eyes so that the back of each palm is directly under your eyes.
- Now look through your fingers at any object in the room.
- The most important thing is not to focus on the fingers themselves; the point of the exercise is to see something beyond them.
The exercise can be made difficult by trying to focus on moving objects in the room. Look in different directions, turn around without taking your hands away from your face. Do the exercise about thirty times, spending no more than five seconds on each attempt to see something in the distance. This exercise will seem difficult at first, but over time you will learn to focus on individual things without paying attention to your hands.
| Exercise name | waiting time | Number of approaches |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise #1 | 30 seconds | 3 approaches |
| Exercise #2 | No more than 5 seconds | 3 sets of 10 times |
| Heating | 30 seconds | 2 to 3 approaches |
Solarization: the life-giving power of light
Solarization is a set of exercises whose main active factor is strong light.
Solarization can be carried out using:
- Light;
- Sun;
- candles;
- electric incandescent lamp.
Sunlight solarization is considered the most effective, but it is not always possible to use a natural light source. Therefore, candles and incandescent light bulbs can also have useful uses.
Solarization is carried out in several stages:
- Position yourself in relation to the light source so that your face is directly opposite it. The eyes must be closed.
- Without squinting, try to get used to the bright light (your eyes should still be closed). If you feel pain in your eyes, you can cover them with your palms for a short time, remove them and try again.
- It is necessary to slowly turn your head, first to the right, then to the left, so that the light exerts its influence evenly.
- After solarization is complete, do palming.
Solarization is effective in restoring vision. It improves blood circulation and also promotes rapid regeneration of ocular tissue, especially post-operatively.
Improving blood circulation with gymnastics
Often a person loses his vision due to the fact that blood circulation in a certain area is disturbed. It does not reach the necessary muscles and nerves in the required volume, which is why myopia develops and the retina becomes thinner. The best thing you can do without surgery is to try to improve your circulation yourself. Massage movements are best suited for this.
| No. | Description | waiting time | Number of approaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise 1 | Using massaging movements, go from the lower eyelid of the right eye to the bridge of the nose, then along the superciliary part of the left eye and back to the bridge of the nose. So, it's as if you were drawing an infinity sign or glasses | Do the exercise for one minute | The exercise is performed in 2-3 approaches |
| Exercise 2 | Move your eyes left and right, as if you are moving your pupils along the horizon line. Do this at maximum speed, but so that when performing the exercise there is no pain in the eyes | Within thirty seconds | 2-3 approaches |
| Exercise 3 | Move your eyes up and down, moving your pupils in a vertical line at maximum speed | Within thirty seconds | 2-3 approaches |
| Exercise 4 | Squint your eyes quickly and immediately relax your eyes | Executed 10 times | 2-3 approaches |
| Exercise 5 | Place your index finger on the bridge of your nose. Try to get your eyes as close as possible to see it. | Keep your attention on your finger for two to three seconds. | Five approaches |
| Exercise 6 | Blink very quickly | Within twenty seconds | Three approaches |
| Exercise 7 | Look out the window. Designate a specific object in the distance for you. Place a circle on the glass next to the object. Change your view from a distant object to a sticker and vice versa | Within a minute | Three approaches |
After completing such a complex, the muscles of the visual apparatus will be toned and you will not only receive a therapeutic effect after the first exercises performed, but also prevent various eye diseases associated with poor blood circulation.
Fighting myopia with gymnastics
It is scientifically proven that the most common eye disease is myopia and there are a number of reasons for this. Intense fatigue, constant contact with technical equipment and lack of rest for the eyes take their toll. Someone loses their vision because of bad heredity, while others come to a sad result on their own. But in the meantime, there are gymnastics that can partially restore vision and also serve as a preventive measure against further vision loss.
To perform gymnastics, you need to sit down and relax.
| No. | Description | waiting time | Number of approaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise 1 | Close your eyes. Sit up straight. Try leaning back and taking a deep breath. Without opening your eyes, lean forward and exhale | Run for exactly one minute | Two approaches |
| Exercise 2 | Lean on the back of the seat. Open your eyes. Lean your body forward and close your eyes sharply, then open your eyes and return to the starting position | Run for exactly one minute | Two approaches |
| Exercise 3 | While sitting, place your hands on your waist and turn your head first to one side and then the other so you can see your elbow. | Run for exactly one minute | Two approaches |
| Exercise 4 | Start rotating your eyes clockwise and then counterclockwise | Perform thirty seconds in one direction and thirty seconds in the other direction. | Three trips |
| Exercise 5 | Stretch your arms. Look at your fingertips. Raise your hands, but keep watching your fingers. You can't move your head. Once you lose sight of your fingers, release your hands | Run for exactly one minute | Two approaches |
Movement-based gymnastics
There are several types of basic exercises, from which it is recommended to create individual gymnastics complexes:
- circular eye movements;
- describe geometric shapes with your eyes;
- focus the gaze;
- guide lines (up-down, left-right);
- blinking/closing your eyes.
Exercises that can be used to prevent and treat myopia include:
| No. | Exercise | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concentrating | You should look away and direct it toward the furthest point in sight. Slowly move your gaze to the tip of your nose |
| two | Circular movements | Draw a circle with your eyes. Repeat 10 times. Then do the exercise in the opposite direction. |
| 3 | flashing | Blink quickly for a few minutes |
| 4 | Squinting while sitting | Close your eyes for a few seconds, repeat several times |
| 5 | Eyelid massage | Close your eyes and massage your eyelids in circular movements with light pressure. |
| 6 | Visual contact | Direct your gaze to the place where the eyebrows grow together, hold for 2-3 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat |
| 7 | Head rotation with change of gaze | You should slowly turn your head to the side, moving your gaze in the same direction. Then turn your head in a different direction. |
Effective gymnastics for hyperopia:
- Focusing on a distant object. Place your finger at a distance of 30 to 40 cm from your face. Look into the distance and focus on your finger.
- Reading "between the lines". Pick up a book, read a few paragraphs of text, and focus on the white space between the lines.
- The head turns. Turn your head to the left and then to the right, looking straight ahead the entire time.
- Observation of moving objects.
After each set of exercises, you need to rest your eyes. You can relax your eye muscles with a light massage or compresses.
Preventive gymnastics
To ensure that visual acuity does not decrease, it is necessary to periodically perform the following exercises:
- "Drawing letters. "You need to use your eyes to describe any number of letters of the alphabet. The exercise can be considered completely completed if you can describe all 33 letters.
- Open your mouth - close your eyes. At the same time, open your mouth and then open your eyes wide. Try opening your mouth and eyes simultaneously.
- Blink/close your eyes. It is necessary to alternate frequent blinking with squinting for 3-5 seconds.
- Massage the upper eyelids with light circular movements.
- Moving your gaze up and down.
- Moving your gaze diagonally.
- Pressure. You should close your eyelids and not press them too hard.
- Look through your fingers. Covering your eyes with your palms, spread your fingers a little, look through them for a few seconds and squeeze them tightly again.
- Narrowing. You need to close your eyes, touch the outer corner with your middle fingers and pull to the sides. You need to feel slight tension in your muscles.
- Tilt your head down, relaxing your neck muscles and resting your chin on your sternum. Direct your gaze to the floor. Then slowly tilt your head back, looking up.
Don't underestimate preventative eye exercises. After all, it is the eyes that are constantly exposed to the most harmful factors. Stress, bad habits, lack of vitamins, frequent illnesses and an unfavorable environment often become the causes of sudden and rapid loss of vision.
The table below presents three groups of exercises that provide a set of preventative measures.
| Exercise group | Starting position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Exercises to strengthen the eye muscles | When sitting, the head remains motionless | Shift your gaze to the right and then to the left, without changing the position of your head |
| Exercises to stimulate circulation and blood flow | Seated | Closing your eyes alternately |
| Exercises for accommodation | standing | Fix your hand with your finger extended at a distance of 30 cm from your face, focus your gaze on it. Without changing focus, slowly move your finger towards the face. When it feels like your finger is doubled, you need to gently move it back to the original distance |
For those who spend a lot of time at the computer, working with paper and small print, preventive gymnastics is simply necessary.
Morning eye exercises
Exercising in the morning allows the body to wake up quickly, tones the muscles and provides a good mood throughout the day. What about morning eye exercises? The sensations are no less pleasant.
Morning exercises can be done in several stages:
- Remaining in a horizontal position, stretch, relaxing your neck muscles.
- Several times, synchronously, open your mouth and eyes wide.
- Perform several squints lasting 3 to 5 seconds.
- So blink frequently, but not too quickly.
- Close your eyelids and use your nose to describe any figure in the air. You can "write" words, letters or "draw" this way. The duration of this exercise is on average 2 to 3 minutes. The images that emerge during this exercise make the brain "wake up" faster and get back to work.
- Raise and lower your eyebrows several times. Sometimes frowning, sometimes surprised.
- Lying on your back, do palming.
- Turn your head from side to side for 2-3 minutes. This relieves tension in your upper spine, which is especially important if you have to sleep in an uncomfortable position.
In total, eye exercises in the morning will not take much time, but they will give a noticeable positive effect: after 1-2 weeks, visual acuity will noticeably improve, the number of headaches will decrease and there will be no signs of fatigue. the face.
Evening eye exercises
In the evening, gymnastics is necessary mainly to relax the muscles of the visual apparatus from daytime tension. Therefore, here palming will be more combined with exercises aimed at combating myopia and retinal diseases:
- Lie down for a while with your eyes closed.
- Without opening your eyes, rotate your pupils clockwise and counterclockwise.
- Alternately open your left and right eyes.
- Look at an object located two or three meters away from you. Shift your gaze to a more distant object. So again for the next one.
- If possible, hang a table with letters, like in an ophthalmologist's office. Every night, look at the letters, studying the outlines. Remember how much you saw initially, how much you saw a week later, and so on.
- Finally, use your fingertips to pull the eyelids away from the eye. Do this on the bottom, top and sides for a minute.
Get into the habit of sleeping with a special medical eye patch. It allows you to have a healthy sleep and your eyes will not react painfully to the morning sunlight that sneaks into your room.
Tibetan gymnastics
There are many techniques that include various sets of eye exercises that aim to correct vision, prevent cataracts and treat many diseases associated with the eyes. Tibetan gymnastics is one of the most common and effective. Includes the following exercises:
- Peripheral vision training. With your arms extended in front of you, place your two index fingers in front of your eyes at a distance of 35-40 cm, bringing them together. Without changing your gaze, slowly open your arms with your fingers extended to the sides. The goal is to look straight ahead but see your fingers in your peripheral vision. Then bring your fingers together again in front of you.
- Pressure. Lightly and quickly press your fingers on your closed eyes, then open your eyes and try not to blink for about 5 to 6 seconds.
- Square. Describe the square with your eyes: look down - left - up - right. Then repeat in the opposite direction: look up – right – down – left.
- Blinking frequently for about a minute.
- Light massage on the eyelids. Close your eyelids and, with light massaging movements, move from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner along the upper eyelid and then along the lower one.
Each exercise in Tibetan gymnastics must be performed for at least one minute or at least 10-15 repetitions.
Yoga for your eyes
Many people have found yoga to be a treasure trove of health benefits. There are more and more fans of this, more of a lifestyle than a sport, from year to year, and this is justified. But few people know that yoga exists not only for the body, but also for the eyes. These exercises will help keep your vision in excellent condition if done systematically until old age.
All you need to do is get into a comfortable position sitting on the floor and straighten your back. Relax and think about something pleasant. Start a series of exercises with a light warm-up, trying to direct your gaze from one side to the other, while trying not to move your neck and head.
Now that you've moved a little, you can start the actual exercises.
- Exercise #1
Achieve even and smooth breathing. Try directing your gaze to the space between your eyebrows, practically connecting your pupils to the bridge of your nose. Of course, you won't succeed the first time, but with systematic repetition of the exercise you will achieve success. You need to keep your pupils in place for at least two seconds, gradually increasing the delay time continuously. This exercise must be done ten times, after each approach giving the eyes a few seconds to rest.
- Exercise #2
Give your pupils a little break after the first exercise, blink, close your eyelids a little and gently open them. As soon as you feel the tension lessen, get ready for a new exercise. Your position remains the same. The eyes should be wide open and breathing should be even. Place your finger on the tip of your nose and try to see with both eyes. Thus, the pupils will meet again on the bridge of the nose, but the gaze will already be directed downwards, unlike the previous exercise. Repeat ten times, giving your eyes some rest.
- Exercise #3
Now try looking to the right with both eyes, trying to look as far as possible, but without turning your body and head. Then look to the left. Now we repeat the same thing looking up and down. The exercise should not be easy for you: the further you move your pupils apart, looking in one direction, the faster you will achieve the desired effect of the complex.
- Exercise #4
Still maintaining a balanced posture and observing smooth breathing, proceed to the next step. Look down without lowering your head. Then start moving one pupil clockwise. When you arrive at the place where you started the exercise, start moving counterclockwise. Then start making a circle on top. Do the exercise in twenty sets, ten for each eye position above and below. Try making a circle with your pupils slowly, trying to see as much as possible on each side.
- Exercise #5
Now you need to relax your eye muscles again so that they stop tense and feel a surge of strength. To do this, close your eyes, think about something good and, observing your breathing evenly, rest for a few minutes.
This completes the yoga complex. Many ophthalmologists advise their patients to perform these exercises not only to maintain eye health, but also to feel the therapeutic effect.
Based on doctors' practice, daily morning and evening yoga classes help strengthen muscles, relieve stress, and generally improve retinal health. This means you can try to recover lost units without the help of surgeons.
It is not necessary to follow a set of classes, as creating a fitness program for yourself is not that difficult. It may include exercise, massage, and exercises that relieve fatigue.