Strengthening Exercises

• Six muscles help hold the eye in place. There are two oblique eye muscles: The superior oblique moves the eye in a downward motion and then upward toward the nose, and the inferior oblique moves the eye upward and toward the upper-outside of the eye. A great way to strengthen these muscles is to pretend you see a pendulum swinging back and forth. Shift the eyes from the right to the left and up and down. Start moving the eyes up and down, then side to side. You can perform these exercises several times a day, starting out with between five and 10 repetitions.
  
  

Figure Eights

• This is a great exercise to help strengthen all the muscles in the eye, often leading to better control. Sit or stand in a comfortable position and then trace an invisible "Figure 8" on the floor in front of you, perhaps eight to 10 feet away, without without moving your head. Trace the lines in one direction, and then switch to the other. Perform this exercise between three to five times a day.
  
  

Eye Massage

• Eye massage helps to relieve strain and stress and also effectively massages the muscles surrounding and supporting the eyeball. Doing this once a day will help keep muscles limber and stretched. Find a comfortable position and close the eyes. Gently place your thumbs below your eyebrows and on the inside corners of your eyes, near the point where the eyes meet the nose. Place your other four fingers on your forehead. Apply pressure inward with the thumbs and count to four. Then, using your thumb and index finger of each hand, massage the bridge of the nose, again counting to four when applying pressure. Repeat four times.