More Brits need corrective eyewear than ever before. The latest figures from Statista show that over 77% of women and 68% of men in the UK now wear glasses.
If you’re among them, you’re probably familiar with all the challenges that come with wearing specs—like how they fog up when you’re sipping a hot drink, slip off when you’re sweaty, leave annoying red marks on your nose when worn for long periods, and can easily get scratched, lost, or broken. And if you are, you likely also know that working out can exacerbate those issues even further.
Whether you’re trying an outdoor sport or are at the gym, glasses can get in the way of pretty much any exercise routine. At the same time, it’s also true that you can’t see what you’re doing without them. So, what options do glasses wearers have if they want to work out—without their need for corrective eyewear getting in the way?
Sports glasses
Keeping your glasses on is probably the biggest challenge you’ll face while working out with eyewear on. If that’s the only issue you wish to address, sports glasses are the best option.
These come with the clear prescription lenses you get with your regular eyewear. As exemplified by the offerings of brands like Bollé, however, they often come with strap systems that allow for a more secure fit even amid high-intensity routines.
This goggle-like design can also prevent fogging due to sweat buildup, emphasising its usefulness beyond swimming. In fact, athletes like legendary American basketball player Horace Grant famously wore them and even inspired glasses-wearing kids to exercise more.
Prescription sunglasses
Nature is among today’s biggest fitness trends for one simple reason: outdoor exercises can significantly boost your well-being. Under these circumstances, however, your glasses are more prone to damage.
They also won’t protect you from the sun’s glare and UV rays, both of which can affect how well you can see during your workout and impact your overall eyesight as you get older.
To benefit from both vision correction and sun protection, you may thus want to get yourself a pair of prescription sunglasses. As seen on Glasses Direct, you can add your prescription to a number of models for a small fee. That means you can easily opt to buy sunglasses from dedicated activewear brands like Oakley.
That way, you can get lenses that offer everything from your prescription and UV protection to polarised coatings that shield you from glare. Simultaneously, you’ll benefit from workout-friendly features like wraparound frames for increased coverage, nose and temple pads for a more secure fit, and acetate materials for enhanced durability.
Contact lenses
If you’d rather not wear glasses altogether, look no further than contact lenses. Johnson & Johnson Vision professional affairs consultant Marie-Therese Hall notes that they’ll provide sharper, clearer eyesight, better peripheral vision, and enhanced depth perception. More importantly, they’ll be more convenient to wear.
They won’t fog up, slip off, break, or be uncomfortable to don alongside additional gear like cycling helmets and face guards. For these reasons, Hall finds that optometrists commonly fit sports contacts for individuals who partake in regular physical activity.
Some manufacturers go even further to meet this demand for contacts by integrating more useful features. That’s exemplified by daily contact lenses like everclear ACTIVE, which is sold exclusively by Vision Direct. They come with additional features, like breathable hydrogel materials and UV-blocking properties, to keep your eyes both comfortable and safe from the sun while you exercise.
Working out is already a challenge—and if you need to wear glasses, that can make things even more difficult. By knowing your eyewear options, you can more easily overcome the obstacle of blurred vision while exercising to keep moving and stay fit!