Vision Training Exercises

Train your eyes to see their best.eyes image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com

Vision is a valuable sense. It exposes us to danger, allows us to see sunsets and is necessary if we are to continue with regular activities like driving cars. While genetic factors and freak accidents may be beyond our control, there are steps the average person can take to train his vision to be its best. Likewise, people with certain physical and even behavioral conditions may benefit from vision training techniques.

Bates Method

According to the Bates Association for Vision Education, the Bates Method was developed by Dr. William Horatio Bates around the turn of the 20th century. The method is built on the idea that people will improve their vision by rethinking what it means to see. Instead of viewing everything in one glance, Bates method practitioners pay attention to details and dedicate time to doing nothing other than meditating on what they see. A few time-honored techniques exist to aid in this goal. These include swinging, swaying, palming and color days.

Swinging involves paying special attention to every object within a certain range. Swaying involves looking at the word in a way that allows viewers to perceive its constant motion. Palming requires viewers to hold their hands over their eyes and observe the way light filters through their fingers. Finally, color days require participants to choose a color and to consciously look for it throughout a day.

Over the past century, the Bates Method has acquired a following of both advocates and detractors. A 2005 study published by the American Vision Institute claims that, while some Bates techniques may have value, others, such as staring into the sun, may be harmful. Practitioners are advised to use common sense and to expect some potential improvement but not miraculous results.

The See Clearly Method is a modern form of vision training based in part on the Bates Method. Wildly popular at the turn of the 21st century, a 2006 court case ruled that the creators of See Clearly pay $200,000.00 in restitution to dissatisfied customers.

On the other hand, a 2005 study by a team of clinical research professionals claims that See Clearly improved the vision of participants in the study. According to the study, the See Clearly Method and similar exercises complement traditional care and are beneficial to the overall health of one's eyes. The study stresses that See Clearly is not the "cure all" it claimed to be but rather something best reserved for supplemental use.

According to the Optometrists Network, Vision Therapy is the formal term applied to medical treatment that integrates non-invasive vision training exercises with traditional care. Vision therapy is individualized to meet the needs of each specific patient and occurs in a doctor's office. In addition to treating people with poor eyesight and conditions such as lazy eye, vision therapy is a form of neurological training which affects the brain and has been used to successfully treat children with symptoms of attention deficit disorders and learning disorders.