Several things can boost your workouts and keep you safe at the gym. One is warming up properly. This improves blood flow and allows more oxygen to reach your muscles, preventing cramps and injuries. Meanwhile, pre-workout supplements contain caffeine and creatine to boost performance and reduce fatigue.
Finally – although you may overlook 1pun intended this aspect – wearing sports glasses helps prevent injuries and boost your workouts. Yes, glasses. After all, they allow you to see if you’ve correctly secured fundamental things like the weights on the lifting bar, determine the speed you’ve set on the treadmill, and check your form in the mirror. Thus, it’s essential to wear them at the gym if you need help with your vision.
So why glasses and not contacts? Well, either one will work. But glasses do have some advantages – for one, they’re easier to clean when you get sweat or gym chalk in your eyes. Secondly, they give you a different look and, with the proper ones, can actually improve your appearance and self-esteem (see pic above). If you’re unsure how to find the proper sports glasses, here are the qualities you must look for:
Lightweight
As someone with poor vision, I know thick, heavy glasses aren’t great. Not only can they be uncomfortable, that extra weight can hinder your performance by making it easier for the glasses to move around while on your fact.
So, when looking for sports glasses, go for a lightweight pair. Aside from weighing and fitting the glasses frame properly, choose a model with thin lenses—particularly, Trivex lenses. These are made from a new type of plastic similar to polycarbonate lenses, so they don’t weigh much. Aside from being thin, Trivex lenses are impact-resistant. If they slip off your face, they won’t break easily. The lenses were developed by PPG Industries that are now widely available among major eyewear retailers.
Secure fit
Exercising entails lots of movement, which can cause your glasses to slip off your face, as we previously mentioned. To prevent this, it’s important to consider how the eyeglasses you buy will fit you. If you typically have issues with how glasses sit on the bridge of your nose, you should buy a pair that’s suited for a low nose bridge or one with adjustable nose pads. There are also glasses for wider faces or smaller shapes, as well as those with spring hinges that allow them to adjust to your face’s shape and size.
Ensuring a secure fit makes for safer workouts and prevents your glasses from falling and breaking. A great option is the Pimlico glasses from Eyebuydirect have one of the most secure fits in their active eyewear collection.
Durability
Even if you choose a lightweight and secure pair of sports glasses, they can still fall from your face when you accidentally hit them with your arm or suddenly jerk your head to the side. So, you need a pair of durable glasses to reduce their chances of damage, like scratches and cracked lenses.
Crizal lenses are the most scratch-resistant ever made, manufactured by Essilor. On the other hand, frames made with nylon are the least prone to breaking and snapping, since it’s flexible. This will ensure that your glasses won’t crack easily when dropped, stepped on, or sat on.
Anti-corrosive qualities
Sweating is inevitable when exercising. Unfortunately, this may cause your sports glasses to corrode or rust, especially if they’re made of metal that contains nickel. Not only will this ruin your glasses, but it can also cause skin irritation.
When buying sports glasses, make sure they’re made with anti-corrosive material. Titanium frames are known to be corrosion-resistant, making them one of the most popular materials for glasses. Because of this, the market for titanium frames is growing every year, and new kinds of titanium are emerging, including pure titanium (the most anti-corrosive) and beta titanium (often used as a replacement for stainless steel). Oakley is one of the eyewear brands using titanium frames and their flagship models have seen immense popularity in recent years.
Summary
Wearing sports glasses at the gym makes for safer and better workouts – after all, what you look at is what you focus on. And getting light weight, secure, durable, and corrosion-resistant glasses not only make for more comfort but will provide better value. They’ll last for longer, and you’ll feel more confident in doing what you do best in the gym without having to worry about your vison – and glasses – hampering your workout.
