NEAR AND FAR FOCUSING -----------------------------------------------

Sit down with a newspaper or book on your lap.Look down at printed material and let your eyes focus on it .Now look up quickly and refocus your eyes on a picture or other object on a wall at least 3.1m away.As soon as your eyes have focused upon this new distance, look back down again at the printed material.Continue this exercise for about two minutes to give your focusing power a workout."This exercise is particularly good for people who do a lot of close work, such as reading or looking at a computer screen,"says Dr Miller.

LAZY EYES --------------------

While keeping your eyes either open or closed and without actually moving your head ,pretend that you're drawing a figure eight lying on its side with the tip of your nose by allowing your eyes to roll looesly in their sockets."Doing this exercise for about 3 minutes everyday will help to provide maximum vertical and horizontal mobility to eyes," according to Miller.

PENCIL PUSH-UPS --------------------------------

Hold a pencil tip upward in front of you at arm's length. With both eyes open ,focus your sight on the pencil's point and then slowly bring this towards you. As you bring the pencil nearer,its image will eventually begin to blur.As soon as the blurring starts, switch your glance immediately to a far object, getting that clearly into focus before you look once again at the pencil.This exercise should be repeated up to a dozen times ,each time beginning with the pencil held away from you.While exercising your eyes will help prevent eye strain ,there are also other simple ways you can nip the problem in the bud.

Here are some more tips from the expert: (a) Have a good yawn.Yawning is probably the fullest kind of breathing possible and provides an extra intake of oxygen as well as a good strecth of the facial muscles.

(b) Choose and position reading lamps carefully so that they provide illumination without glare.Never let a light shine directly into your eyes.Don't place a light so that it reflects back from the computer or TV screen ,creating glare .