1. Focus change
This exercise works by challenging your focus. It should be done from a seated position.
- Sit down.
- Put your finger a bit in front of your eye.
- Look at your finger.
- Move your finger away from your face, but keep looking at it.
- Look at something far away for a short time.
- Look back at your finger and bring it close to your eye.
- Look at something far away again.
- Do this three times.
2. Near and far focus
This is another focus exercise. As with the previous one, it should be done from a seated position.
- Sit down.
- Put your thumb 10 inches from your face and look at it for 15 seconds.
- Find something 10 to 20 feet away and look at it for 15 seconds.
- Look back at your thumb.
- Do this five times.
3. 20-20-20 Rule
When we do close-up tasks, like reading or using a computer, our eyes can get tired and dry. To avoid this, take breaks.
Remember the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, stop your close-up work. Look at something far away (around 20 feet) for 20 seconds. After that, you can go back to your close-up work. This helps your eyes relax and stay comfortable.
4. Brock String
The Brock String is a tool made by Frederick Brock from Switzerland. It helps with vision exercises. To set it up, make loops on each end of the string. Connect one loop to a doorknob. Put three beads on the string: one close to the doorknob, one in the middle (2-5 feet away), and one near your nose (6 inches away). Keep the string tight under your nose.
You can use the Brock String to do different exercises. These exercises help your eyes practice tracking, alignment, and focusing.
5. Barrel Card
The barrel card helps your eyes learn to come together and look at something close.
Here’s how to use it:
- Hold the card close to your nose, with the circles in a line.
- Close one eye. One eye sees red, and the other sees green.
- Adjust the card so both eyes see the same amount and it’s not tilted.
- Look at the circles farthest from you. They should overlap and make one circle with both colors.
- After 5 seconds, look at the middle circle.
- Then, look at the closest, smallest circle.
- The circles you’re not looking at might look double; that’s normal.
- Do this for 10 cycles, holding each circle for 10 seconds.
- Take breaks and relax your eyes.
6. Pencil pushups
Pencil pushups can help if your eyes are having trouble working together. A doctor might suggest this exercise.
Here’s how you do it:
- Hold a pencil at arm’s length between your eyes.
- Look at the pencil and try to see one image as you slowly bring it closer to your nose.
- Stop when the pencil is no longer one image.
- Put the pencil at the closest point where it’s still one image.
- Do this 20 times.
