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, in particular a professor who worked for many years in leading positions at the Research Institute of Eye Diseases.Under his guidance, a series of exercises aimed at improving blood circulation, normalizing intraocular pressure and increasing visual acuity was also developed.
Currently, in addition to the usual eye exercises that a person can perform, there are special computer programs and hardware methods of vision correction.
Exercises to improve vision according to the professor's method
General strengthening exercises.Although many people believe that if you are shortsighted it is enough to do just a few eye exercises, it turns out that a sedentary lifestyle and poor physical fitness themselves contribute to the progression of myopia.The opposite is also true: daily exercise and moderate physical work are an excellent means of preventing vision loss.
In the 80s of the last century, it was found that the following types of physical activity help strengthen the ciliary muscle of the eye and improve blood circulation, if the pulse is between 100 and 140 beats per minute:
- run;
- standing;
- ski;
- I swim.
However, when performing the same exercises with a heart rate of 180 beats per minute, as well as when jumping rope, gymnastics and acrobatics, a progression of myopia is observed due to deterioration of accommodation and blood 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 number of heartbeats for 10 seconds and then multiply by 6. If this seems difficult, you can use the following method: Physical activity is considered moderate if a person is able to speak in short, sharp sentences during sports.If the load is too heavy, which will be harmful to the eyes, breathing will only be enough to pronounce only short words, for example "yes", "no", "I don't know", etc.
Special exercises
They are divided into three groups: to improve blood circulation and accommodation, as well as strengthen the eye muscles.
Exercises to improve blood circulation and normalize intraocular pressure
The purpose of these exercises is that you must periodically with your eyes:
- blink frequently (for example for a quarter of a minute), then take a short break to rest and repeat 4 more times;
- close your eyes for 5 seconds (do 8 times);
- Gently massage your eyes through closed eyelids for 1 minute, then repeat pressure on them 3-4 times with three fingers for one second.
Exercises to strengthen the eye muscles
The muscles of the eyeball become stronger and maintain their shape well if we gently move our gaze without turning our head:
- vertically up-down, down-up;
- along one, then the second diagonal in the up-down direction;
- horizontally left-right;
- rotate clockwise and vice versa.
It is recommended to perform almost all exercises in this block up to 10 times.
Visual acuity exercises
The exercises in this group are based on moving the gaze from a close distance to a distance and vice versa (while the gaze remains fixed in each position for 3-5 seconds).Could be:
- bring the index finger close to the nose to the face (so that its image becomes double) and remove 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 all children are able to perform such exercises several times a day.And this is where games that train eye accommodation and strengthen muscles come to the rescue.It is important to exclude those games where there is a high probability of hits to the face, collisions, strong strains or strains.
The following activities can largely replace “boring” exercises for children and help improve vision:
- short fast run (patch up, recovery);
- catching and passing the ball;
- throw a ball (a small bag of sand) against a wall or a target on the floor.
During school hours, approximately halfway through class, it is advisable to blink rapidly for 30 seconds, then sit for 1 minute with your eyes closed, leaning back in your chair.