How Eye Workouts Helped Me
Read Small Text Again

My Story: From Thick Glasses to Unaided Vision

I was born with hyperopic amblyopia. From the time I started elementary school, I wore glasses with thick lenses — the kind that made my eyes look magnified, like through a magnifying glass, when seen from the other side. Until age 30, I lived with the assumption that I could not read text without glasses.

Around age 30, an experience taught me a way to read small text without glasses. The discovery was simple: after staring at a single point for about a minute, the entire view became crisp for a short while afterward. Clock numbers and calendar text — usually blurry — appeared sharp, and even the fine texture of wallpaper became visible. For someone who had never experienced clear unaided vision since childhood, this was startling.

From then on, I practiced this fixation training regularly. Gradually I could read large-print books without glasses, and two years later, for the first time in my life, the "corrective lenses required" restriction was removed from my driver's license. I could drive without glasses.

Why Did My Vision Improve? My Own Theory

What I realized through this experience is that, having lived with poor vision since childhood, I had simply never tried to see properly. The act of focusing on a single point gave me the sensation of using my "power to see" for the very first time.

Any human ability grows when used and weakens when neglected. By regularly practicing the act of "seeing" — something I had never consciously done — I felt my power to see strengthen little by little.

Curious, I looked into the muscles of the eye. I learned that the eye has a muscle called the ciliary muscle, which controls focal adjustment. It controls accommodation — the ability to focus on objects at varying distances.

If I could train the ciliary muscle, my clarity and sustained focus might improve — that flash of insight is what led me to continue fixation as a workout. That is the origin of this story.

Scientific Evidence on Improving "Visual Power"

When I looked into fixation training, I found that ophthalmology research has explored this area extensively. Fascinatingly, these studies suggest that "visual power" is made up of two systems: the ocular system and the brain/neural system.

Evidence: The Ocular System

Research has shown that the ciliary muscle can be activated through training, regardless of age.

Evidence: The Brain/Neural System

Research shows that the brain's visual processing ability can dramatically improve without any change to the eye's optical properties.

Two Visual Systems That Determine Vision

Vision is determined by the cooperation of two distinct systems.

Reflection on My Experience

Timeline

Synergy Between the Two Systems

The key insight is that these two systems are not independent of each other.

Why Not Try Shifting Your Awareness of "Seeing"?

Eye function and condition vary from person to person, so this is by no means a universal method. But if you feel that you don't consciously practice the act of "seeing" in daily life, I believe it's well worth a try. Sustained improvement in visual power requires continued training, but you can feel the immediate effect with just 60 seconds of training. Right after fixation training, your usual surroundings should appear sharper than before.

I originally built this as a personal tool, but I've made the free eye workout app available to everyone. Try it instantly in your browser. (Japanese-only Android app is also available for users who can read Japanese.)

🚀 Try the Mekintore Eye Workout App

🌐 Try the Web Version Now

I hope that shifting your awareness of "seeing" can contribute, even slightly, to a better daily life.
Thank you for reading to the end.