Eye Exercises

Some people have a problem getting their head around the idea of eye exercises, and not so long ago it was considered to be a new age fad with no scientific backing. New research, however, has proved that bad vision isn't always caused by genetics; lifestyle and environment can play a major part in the health of our eyes.

Man is naturally a hunter, and the eyes of a hunter are designed to seek out and identify at some considerable distance. It is a known fact that people like farmers and sailors who spend a lot of time looking into the distance often retain good eye sight well into old age. In a natural environment we exercise our eyes all the time. When we look at the horizon, for instance and then look at something close by, our eyes or automatically refocus. When we are doing this all the time, our eye muscles retain their elasticity and strength.

The tiny muscles that control our eyes are just like any other muscle in our body, they need to be exercised regularly. Constant use and exercise means the muscles will remain supple and strong. Unfortunately, most people when they start to suffer from myopia reach for the eyeglasses. This is a good short-term solution, but is very damaging in the long run. The minute you put glasses on, the muscles stop working and the eye lens stiffens as their job is being done for them.

This is rather like going everywhere in a car instead of walking. Your Doctor would advise you to exercise instead of taking the car. When you visit the optician though he will prescribe glasses and tell you eye exercises won't work.

Our environment also has a lot to answer for when we consider some of the causes of nearsightedness. The increasing use of computers and DVD's, either in the house or the workplace are a major cause of vision problems. Computer screens are made up of thousands of pixels. The eyes cannot focus directly on to each pixel, so they need to focus over and over to keep the picture sharp. Over time this causes strain and tension on the eyes. The American Optometric Association has labeled this condition, "computer vision syndrome".

Staring at a computer screen for any length of time restricts the blood flow and freezes the energy and muscles. Anyone working in an environment such as IT should be aware of the potential damage they could be doing to their eyes. The good news is that just five to 10 minutes spent on eye exercises every day can have a marked improvement. Get into the habit of looking away from the screen at regular intervals and if possible, look at the most distant object in your environment.

Aging causes the lens of the eye to harden and the muscles to tighten. For this situation there are special optical exercises and vision improvement techniques that can help to regain the elasticity and strength, restoring the clear vision previously enjoyed. People now enjoy better health and fitness well into old age, there is no reason why their vision shouldn't remain clear and sharp as well.

At as we become more aware of how eye exercises can help us keep our vision and improve the health of our eyes, doing eye exercises will become an important part of our fitness regime. Most of us take our eyesight for granted and never give it much thought. Only when our eyesight starts to fail do we start to look for solutions, by then it is all too easy to use spectacles as the quick-fix option.

It is also important to remember that proper nutrition and diet play a big part in maintaining good eye health. Certain nutrients such as chromium copper gluconate and lutein can help to keep our eye diseases such as glaucoma and muscular degeneration at bay. Fruits and vegetables which are a bright orange, red or yellow in color are a good source of lutein which explains the old theory of why carrots are so good for the eyes.

Eye exercises can do much to reduce strain and improve eye sight. It's a natural healthy way to retain vision and eye health. With regular practice there is no reason why you shouldn't retain good vision well into old age.

Having recovered from breast cancer, Trish turned her attention to health and wellbeing. Trish became an author and life coach specializing in health, wellbeing and relationships. For more information and tips on these and many more subjects go to her website at http://www.wellbeing-information.com

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