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 preventive 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 sight 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, especially a professor who worked for many years in high positions at the Research Institute for Eye Diseases.Under his leadership, a set of exercises aimed at improving blood circulation, normalizing intraocular pressure and increasing visual acuity was developed.
Currently, in addition to the usual eye exercises that a person can perform, there are special computer programs and hardware methods for vision correction.
Exercises to improve vision according to the professor's method
General strengthening exercises.Although many people believe that if you are nearsighted, it is enough to do a few eye exercises, it turns out that a sedentary lifestyle and poor physical condition contribute to the progression of myopia.The opposite is also true: daily exercise and moderate physical work are excellent means of preventing vision loss.
Back in the eighties of the last century, it was established that the following types of physical activity help strengthen the ciliary muscle of the eye and improve blood circulation, if the pulse is in the range of 100-140 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 jumping rope, gymnastics and acrobatics, the progression of myopia is observed due to the deterioration of accommodation and circulation of the eye.
How can you determine your heart rate to get the most visual benefits from running or walking?Of course, you can simply measure using special instruments, or count the heart rate for 10 seconds, and then multiply by 6. If this seems difficult to you, then you can use the following method: physical activity is considered moderate if a person can speak in abrupt, short sentences or phrases during sports.If the load is too heavy, which will be harmful to the eyes, breathing is enough to say only short words, for example, "yes", "no", "I don't know", etc.
Special exercises
They are divided into three groups: to improve circulation and accommodation, as well as to strengthen eye muscles.
Exercises to improve blood circulation and normalize intraocular pressure
The point of these exercises is that you have to occasionally with your eyes:
- blinking often (for example, 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 the eyes through the closed eyelids for 1 minute, then repeat the pressure on them 3-4 times with three fingers for a second.
Exercises to strengthen the eye muscles
The muscles of the eyeball become stronger and maintain their shape well if we move our gaze smoothly without turning our head:
- vertical up-down, down-up;
- along one and then another diagonal in the up-down direction;
- horizontal left-right;
- rotate clockwise and vice versa.
It is recommended to do almost every exercise in this block up to 10 times.
Exercises for visual acuity
The exercises of this group are based on moving the gaze from a close distance to a distance and back (while the gaze is fixed in each position for 3-5 seconds).it could be:
- bringing the index finger at the height of the nose to the face (so that its image becomes double) and removing it at arm's length;
- looking at a colored mark at eye level on the window and looking at a distant object located along our line of sight for 5-7 minutes a day.
Useful and fun exercises for children
Not every child is able to do such exercises several times a day.And that's where games that train eye accommodation and strengthen muscles come to the rescue.It is important to exclude those games in which there is a high probability of blows to the face, collisions, strong strain or strain.
The following activities can largely replace "boring" exercises for children and help improve vision:
- short fast running (patching, catching up);
- catching and passing the ball;
- throwing a ball (small bag of sand) at a wall or a target on the floor.
During school hours, approximately in the middle of the lesson, it is recommended to blink rapidly for 30 seconds and then sit for 1 minute with your eyes closed, while leaning back in your chair.