Eye strain exercises

Eye strain is a common bane for many people, particularly those in deskbound jobs or glaring at computer screens among several other eye-stressing reasons. Signs and symptoms of eye strain are tiredness, dryness felt in the eyes, blurry vision and recurrent headaches. Not many people are aware of an apt and effectual way of resting their eyes through many different eye strain exercises .

Here are some beneficial eye strain exercises which are ideally to be repeated in thirty minute intervals whenever one is staring at a computer screen or any activity where the eyes are strained.

Eye Cupping

• Being seated at ease on the ground and rubbing the palms of both hands against each other till they generate warmth due to the friction.
• Now cupping the hands and covering the eyes in a light manner. Pressure application to the eye ball area must be avoided with palm placement not covering the nose and eyes concealed in the hollows of the hands.
• Ensuring that light is not entering the eyes and leaving no spaces in-between fingers or edges of nose and hands.
• One might yet observe some hints of colours. Envisage deep darkness and start focusing on it.
• Doing deep and even breathing with positive thoughts. Repeating the palm cupping for another three minutes.

Look Afar

• Eyes feel relaxed by just looking at any object situated at a distance of around five meters away from where you are working for some minutes to be done on a daily basis.

Cadenced Movements – Grill Swing

• Try gazing through vertically placed grills or bars of windows or doors and looking at distantly placed items.
• Start slow and rhythmic swaying similar to the movements of pendulums in clocks and also keeping breathing rhythmic.
• Your bodyweight is to be transferred sideways foot-to-foot and muscles of the body kept slack and floppy.
• Repeating to a count of a hundred everyday and blink your eyes when swaying in this manner as it helps in cleaning and lubricating the eyes that is particularly significant for those spending protracted periods of time staring at laptops or other activities that put strain on the eyes.
• Continuing this for two to three minutes.

Cadenced Movements – Rotund Swings

• Standing with feet placement at a distance shoulder width away and arms to dangle easy on the sides.
• Gazing at some low lying item placed afar and shifting one’s weight to the left foot & swinging the torso to the left allowing the heel of right foot to be lifted off the ground. However one should be watchful of one’s surrounding as one swings while breathing in a rhythmic manner.
• In case one sees some object outside the windows or afar then noticing the manner in which they appear to be moving in the opposing direction to which one swings.
• Returning to the initial pose and doing the same on one’s right too.
• When one does such eye relaxing exercises remember breathing in a rhythmic manner and blinking when one sways.
• Continuing for two to three minutes in the least and repeating a hundred times every day.

Cadenced Movements- Head Motions

• Closing the eyes and using the head for forming the number eight in the air.
• Moving and breathing in a rhythmic manner and continuing for three or more minutes.

Heated and Chilled Compresses

This is a relaxing exercise for the eyes that improves blood supply around the eyes & face.

• Soaking mini towels in hot and chilly water.
• Applying any one of the towels and compressing over shut eyes, cheek, eyebrow and facial area and then the other one for ensuring that the session is ended with the chilled compress application.
• The use of alternating hot and chilled compresses helps in opening up the minute blood vessels located over the facial area and hence relieving eye strain.

Aqua Splash Therapy

• Sprinkling cold water direct from opened tap on shut eyes for a couple of seconds.
• Let water on the facial area dry out naturally and not wiping the face dry.

Facial Massaging

• Placing towel soaked in tepid/hot water and then rubbing it over the entire facial area in a vigorous manner though avoiding rubbing the eye area.
• Subsequent to this, in a gentle manner massaging the forehead and shut eyelid area using tips of your fingers.

Magnetic Remedy

• Donning specially created magnetic eye frames for about five to ten minutes on an everyday basis.
• The waves that emanate from the magnet help in relieving strain and invigorating the eyes by relieving strain.