5 Tips For Exercising While Wearing Eyeglasses
Movement is fundamental to life. Whether it’s running, cycling, or lifting weights at the gym, exercising is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, if you’re a glasses wearer, a dilemma often arises while working out: should you wear your prescription eyeglasses?
There’s no definitive answer to this question, but if there’s one thing we believe in, it’s that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your eye comfort when you’re working out. Regardless of your vision needs, your eyeglasses should be comfortable and support all your activities. Wearing the right glasses boosts comfort, safety, and visibility, helping prevent accidents and injuries.
Common Struggles of Exercising with Glasses
Exercising with eyeglasses comes with its own set of challenges. Here are some common struggles that people encounter when exercising while wearing their prescription eyewear.
Slipping frames and foggy glasses
Ever experienced having your frames slip down your nose mid-run? Or have you encountered getting foggy glasses while you’re walking?
Don’t fret; these things happen all the time. Sweat can cause slippage. Meanwhile, fogging can happen when there’s a sudden temperature change or when you’re breathing heavily.
Discomfort during high-intensity movements
Aside from fogging and slippage, wearing eyeglasses can also cause discomfort when you’re doing high-intensity exercise. Aerobic exercises, for example, like running on a treadmill or indoor cycling, involve repetitive motion. Depending on the intensity of the movement combined with sweat, these can cause the frames to bounce up and down your face.
Damaging Your Eyewear
Outdoor exercise exposes your eyewear to a lot of elements. While exercising, sweat, debris, and dust particles can easily build up in your frames. Then, there’s also the risk of your glasses falling off when you’re doing high-impact sports, leading to scratches and even broken frames.
5 Tips to Make Your Glasses Workout-Friendly
The good news is that with the right frames and a few adjustments, you can absolutely wear your eyeglasses while working out. Here are a few tips that will help you enjoy your workout time without compromising your vision needs.
1. Choose lightweight frames
When exercising, go for lightweight frames that fit snugly on your face. You’d want to avoid heavy and bulky frames that weigh and add additional pressure on your face. Additionally, heavy frames tend to shift a lot when you’re sweating. Choose lightweight frames such as metal, rimless, or plastic frames to make sure they stay in place.
2. Use sports straps or anti-slip nose pads
Eyewear straps (also known as sports straps) can help secure your eyeglasses in place around the back of your head, allowing you to perform your best without worrying about your frames shifting or jiggling while you’re on the move.
Alternatively, you can also customize your eyeglasses to have anti-slip rubber nose pads. These tend to stick better to your face, providing a stable grip that won’t let your frames easily slide down your nose, even when you sweat.
3. Clean lenses regularly to prevent fogging
Use an anti-fog spray, like the ZEISS Anti-Fog Kit, to prevent your lenses from fogging while exercising. The kit comes with its own cleaning cloth and can be used on a variety of lenses, including swimming goggles and safety glasses.
To use this, clean your lenses first to remove any debris or dirt using a lens cleaning solution, then wipe them with a microfiber cloth. Moisten the cleaning cloth with a few sprays of the anti-fog spray, then rub the cloth on both sides of your lenses until they’re evenly coated and dry.
4. Use prescription sports glasses
If you live an active lifestyle, consider investing in prescription sports eyewear. Unlike your everyday spectacles, these sports glasses are made with more durable and impact-resistant materials, making them ideal for vigorous activities.
These frames often feature a wraparound design so they can stay comfortably placed on your head, no matter which activity you do. Plus, they also offer UV protection and anti-glare coatings, which can help improve your performance, especially when you’re constantly running, biking, or doing sports under the sun.
5. Visit your optical shop for a proper fit and assessment
No matter what kind of frames you wear, consulting with an optician ensures your eyeglasses fit properly and comfortably. A team of opticians and optometrists can assess your needs based on your activities and recommend the best frames, lens coatings, and adjustments to optimize your comfort and vision during exercise. They can also help you find the right fit for sports-specific eyewear.
Eyewear Alternative for Active Lifestyles
Alternatively, you can also consider wearing contact lenses while exercising. These can be particularly helpful, especially when you’re doing high-impact activities, such as a Spartan race or contact sports. Wearing contacts also eliminates the constant worry of your glasses slipping, falling, and breaking while you’re moving.
Get expert advice from George Optical
When you work out, your focus should be on your performance, not your eyewear. Exercising with glasses doesn’t have to be a hassle. With the right pair of glasses, you can enjoy clear vision and comfort while staying active.
Get expert eye care advice from George Optical. We specialize in providing eye care solutions that are tailored to your unique vision needs and lifestyle. Whether you need prescription sports glasses or are planning to switch to contact lenses, our team of eye care experts will provide you with the best advice to address your needs.
Book an eye exam today with George Optical and take the first step into your journey in getting better vision!
Sources:
https://www.nvision.nz/blog/tips-for-wearing-glasses-while-exercising