Do any of the methods for improving eyesight by "exercising" your eyes really work?

I saw one method that was available free of charge on the Dr. Mercola website over a year ago. I downloaded it but never listened to the program and tried the exercises? Now I'm one year older (47) and very small print is getting more difficult to read. Will I make my eyesight worse if I buy and use an inexpensive pair of non-prescription eyeglasses at a drug store? I can see everything else fine, just not very small print or things very close to my face. (I guess that means I'm farsighted, correct?)

hi
first of all ur eyes seems normal by the discription u have given other than ur reading problem. this is known as presbyopia. people usually in their early 40's feels that their near vision is starting to diminish slowly bcoz they gradually loose the ability to focus at the near object. this is as normal as ur hairs getting grey.
for this i will advice u to get a perfect eye checkup once every year regularly from an optometrist or ophthalmologist. this is specially important after u cross 40's, becoz u can prevent more chances of other eye disorders in this age. also the glasses available at the drug store are not perfectly checked according to wat power u need, they can be some approximate power which will magnify the vision and give u temporary benifit. wherelse if u make glasses by the perfect priscription, u will be more comfortable and also u will not have any strain on ur eyes if u had to use it for long period.
so as a qulified optometrist i will advice u to get ur eyes tested and get ur glasses made as per ur perfect priscription.
also u can improve and restore the vision by excersices balanced diet etc but that definitely wont help reducing ur power which it totally age related.
u can do yoga's like sarwangasana in which ur brain gets rejuvinated and u can do pranayama or breathing excercises which not only helps ur eyes but the whole body.
any more advices u need, contact me on kothari_jay55@yahoo.com

No. There is no way to improve your eyesight---unless you have the Lasik procedure.

Yes, you are farsighted. Sounds to me as though you are just going through what the rest of us over 40 are going through----our arms are getting too short. LOL No problem getting the drug store reading glasses---they are fine.

You are presbyopic, "old sight".As we age , the ligaments that controll the lens in our eye that allows us to focus, as in reading, becomes weaker, and we lose this ability to focus. We lose alittle more each year. You have reached the point that you have lost enough "focusing ability", that you now need reading glasses. In alot of cases, over the counter readers are fine. If you have no astigmatism, then they are fine. Even if you do, they won't "hurt" ou, but the vision may not be as clear as possible as if you an Rx. Try a +1.75 or alittle less, it will likely be just fine. I recommend eye exams for the health of your eyes every 1 to 2 yrs. Most eye disease is silent and you will not know you have anything till it is perhaps at end stage, and then vision is threatened. There is no scientfic data to support that "eye exercises" work to improve vision, however, we do use a variety of exercises to help improve some forms of eye muscle problems. You wasted your money. I see this alot when patients come to me because it "didn't work!!"