Your Workout for Better Vision

Now we're ready to get down to the nitty-gritty... the actual exercises you need to do to improve your visual powers.

Some manuals go into excruciating detail about what part of the eyes you're exercising and what's happening with the blood flow and musculature. They may quote "experts" about the benefits of the different exercises and include page after page of diagrams and complicated instructions for performing the various steps in the visual workout. It's exhausting!

Your visual workout should be relaxing or exhilarating, but never exhausting!

Rather than wear you out with lots of theory and unnecessary detail, we'll focus on 13 Simple Exercises (a "baker's dozen") that you can do throughout the day to rest, relax, and ultimately strengthen your eyes and your vision.

The 13 Simple Exercises should be preceded by the Eye-Body Warm-up, a series of three "warm-up" exercises that engage your whole body.

EBW #1 — Swing on a Star

The exercise known as "swinging" is the first step to relaxing your eyes and your upper body, too. Scheduling just five minutes to swing will help you regain the natural range of movement your eyes may have lost as you develop your vision.

To swing properly, begin by standing with your legs apart... a little wider than shoulder-width... with your arms hanging loosely at your sides. Consciously relax your neck, shoulders, back, and stomach. When you're ready, begin by slowly swinging your body from side to side.

While you're swinging, continue to breathe naturally. Avoid looking down or tilting your head. Allow your elbows to bend naturally and to follow your body.


Note: Don't confuse "swinging" with "swaying." (To swing, you rotate your upper body around your spine — moving from the torso to the chest to the head.)

As for your eyes, they should be allowed to move naturally, shifting focus as you swing. They'll automatically follow a line of sight that is parallel to the floor. You shouldn't try and focus on any specific thing. You can be aware of the motion within your line of vision, but simply let the images go by. Remember to blink lightly and often to keep your eyes lubricated.

Optical Illusion

During the first few moments of swinging, the room may appear stationary to you. Or you may feel your focus jump from point to point. This is caused by your eyes working to hone-in on specific objects.

Little by little, this "vision horizon" will change. By the time you finish the exercise, you should notice that your eyes see the room spinning in the opposite direction of your swing... a sign that you've truly relaxed your peepers.


Warning Flag: Swinging may make you feel unbalanced (physically, not mentally), dizzy, and/or sick to your stomach. This may be due to your inner ear's ability to deal with the motion.

If you feel a bit unwell as you're swinging, don't stop immediately... but do slow down. Shift your concentration to your breathing and take a few deep breaths. You can also bend your knees to help you feel more "grounded."

If you continue to feel disoriented, stop completely. Take a few deep breaths to regain your sense of balance. Then, when you're ready, continue your swings, but at a slower pace than before.

Before long, and with just a little trial and error, you'll know exactly what pace is right for you.

EBW #2 — Heads will Roll

Head rolls are the upper body's best friend. Simple to do anywhere and anytime, they relax your neck, head and face muscles.

If you're someone who hunches over your computer keyboard all day, you'll find them a real winner for reducing shoulder tension. And... as we know... a relaxed body sees best.

Stand Up, Sit Down, Roll, Roll, Roll

You may do head rolls standing up or sitting down... although preferably not behind the wheel of your car! Sit or stand with your spine straight, but not rigid, and your eyes open. Align your body so that it feels as though your head is sitting on top of your spine.

Take a deep breath. As you exhale, let your chin drop slowly to your chest.


Note: The key to this exercise is isolating the movement of your head and neck. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed.

Roll your neck slowly in one direction and then in the other. It isn't necessary to force this movement. You may simply let the weight of your head and gravity do the work.

Despite their simplicity, neck rolls must be done methodically. As your head moves from side to side, be sensitive to areas of tension and tightness. Gently move through those "trouble zones" until they loosen and relax.


Warning Bell: Never force any movements. "Size" doesn't count in head rolls. It's more important to do a series of small head rolls in a slow, easy manner.

EBW #3 — Finger Tapping

To stimulate the visual centers of your brain and develop the ability to focus clearly.

The act of tapping your fingertips together for as little as 60 seconds stimulates the nerve endings in your fingertips, of course, but it also stimulates the visual pathways in the brain and is helpful in the development of the ability to focus clearly.

The science behind why this works isn't nearly as important as the fact that it does.

1. Loosely place the bottom of your palms together and, with your wrists relaxed, tap your fingertips together rapidly.

2. Breathe easily and keep your arms and elbows relaxed.

The first thing you will probably be aware of is a tingling, or even a sense of "tenderness" in your fingertips. Don't worry; this is natural and nothing to be concerned about. And even though it's your fingers that are tapping, don't be surprised if you experience sensations in other areas of your body, like the stomach.

These sensations are linked to your body's release of tension. And when you finish this portion of the Eye-Body Warm-up, you should be feeling relaxed and ready for the next step.