Glasses can be extremely annoying during a workout. Not only can they slip down your nose when you sweat, but they might also fall off during vigorous exercise, or obstruct your sight if you’re outside in poor weather conditions. Obviously you need them to see what you’re doing clearly, but having to constantly push your frames up or wipe the lenses isn’t ideal. Here are our top tips for making sure your glasses don’t disrupt your exercise routine.
1. Find frames that fit your face
Frames that fit your face properly are most likely to stay in place during a workout. To see whether your glasses fit, make sure that they sit in the middle of your face, no higher than your eyebrows, and that they match the width of your face at the temples, which will help create a sense of visual balance. Should your glasses start slipping off your face, that means they’ll probably need to be tightened, and your regular optician should do this for free.
If this leaves you in need of a new pair of glasses, make sure they have been properly fitted at the opticians, or have your exact measurements to hand if you’d prefer to buy online. Designer brands are more likely to provide a better fit, but if you can’t afford to pay full price, sites like eBay or Amazon should offer good discounts. However, this may not guarantee authenticity, and it can be hard to tell whether your brand-name glasses are real, even once you’ve received your new pair of frames. However, there are some easy ways to ensure your frames are authentic — Designer Glasses notes that real Gucci frames, for example, will have a certificate of authenticity, as well as a CE stamp on the arm will be hard to scratch off.
2. Choose a sports brand
Sports brands often offer prescription glasses and sunglasses for activities, such as cycling, running and swimming. These have been designed to stay comfortably in place during exercise so every movement is easy and safe. They also have helpful elements which aren’t found in normal glasses, such as polarized lenses, which have a special chemical applied to filter out light and block UV rays, making them ideal for watersports. Other sports lenses have often been treated to prevent them from getting foggy and steamy in high-intensity conditions.
3. Get prescription goggles if swimming
Regular glasses aren’t an option if you’re a swimmer, but if you can’t go without them, you could invest in a pair of prescription goggles. These can sometimes be bought from the opticians, but they are also widely available online. There are different types of prescription goggles such as lightweight racing styles for serious swimmers, and recreational goggles, which have generously padded frames and offer a wider range of peripheral vision.
4. Switch to contacts
Contact lenses may ultimately be better than glasses when you’re exercising, as they won’t move around when you work out, or be affected by the weather. The thought of touching your eye might be off-putting if you haven’t done it before, but it’s definitely worth getting used to, and single-use contacts can be worn just for your workout, then thrown afterwards. This saves you having to worry about cleaning them, though the cost might add up over time. However, contact lenses aren’t suitable for water sports, as they could leave you susceptible to eye infections, irritation and inflammation.
