Avoid Straining.
Strain is the major cause of bad eyesight.
Straining to "see" any object, far or near, which you are unable to see
clearly, places a heavy strain on the eye muscles.
It’s just like trying to lift a heavy weight that your body is
not conditioned to cope with, it will strain and damage your
tendons and muscles.
Other ways to strain your eyes include - long exposure to cold wind directly
into the eyes, bright artificial lights, (especially fluorescent lights), watching
too much television and staring too long at a computer screen (my favorite!)
Look up regularly and gaze into the distance.
This is probably the most
important eye habit you can practice while reading, doing any close work or
watching television.
This exercise keeps the eye muscles flexible and stops them from getting
into a frozen position.
Simply look UP from your close-work every five minutes and gaze (focus) at
a distant object for five seconds. This exercise prevents eye-muscle
cramping and also relaxes the eye muscles.
During close work, the Eye Muscles contract to properly focus the lens.
These muscles kept in constant contraction for long periods, tend to get
cramped, just like your arm muscles would do if you held a barbell in a fully
flexed arm curl position for several minutes.
This was the hardest one for me, as I do a lot of computer work, and often, I
get so involved with what I’m doing, I totally forget to look away. Sometimes,
hours will pass before I realize I haven’t looked up from the screen even
once!