Glasses vs. Active Lifestyle... Can they be friends?

[Ataraxia]

I practice Krav Maga (the combat art) and I'm at the very beginning of parkour training. I wear glasses and without them I'm blind as a bat. I've read about the negative impacts that long-term contact lens use has on the eyes, and to be honest I'm always running around doing things and I feel it would be easy for me to be neglectful in taking proper care of contacts, not to mention the monetary cost and time cost.

But all the time when I get hit my glasses fly across the room! I've seen someone wear prescription goggles but I don't think I'm a goggle kind of person.

What should I do?

[andygates]

I couldn't make glasses work for the activity level I like. Switched to contacts 5 years ago, never looked back. The continuous-wear ones need almost no care at all, which suits me just fine: more like prosthetic eyes.

Otherwise: a strappy band round the back will stop 'em falling off, but nothing de-dorkulates that look.

[ZenGwen]

Get some glasses that fit more tightly. I'm similarly blind, have been wearing glasses 24/7 since I was in third grade. I have two pairs, and one of them I can't really wear when I'm exercising - if I'm sweaty and bending over they slide off, if I'm putting on a fencing mask they'll go all over the place, if I'm running they bounce. But my other pair fit much more tightly and are great for just about everything (although fencing masks are ALWAYS a pain with glasses, I'm thinking of getting some contacts just for that if I keep it up).

I recommend looking for plastic ones with fairly chunky arms - stay away from thin metal arms. You can also let them know at the shop when they're fitting them that you'd like them to fit quite tightly. Actually, you might want to try just taking the ones you've got in and having them make everything tighter first, in case that works. Save a bit of money.

[Loren Wade]

You can always get your glasses adjusted. Most places do it for free. That said, if you hate contacts like me, check out products like this:

http://croakies.com/sp_intro.html

Hope that helps.

[sumdawgtwigg]

Mine have never really given me any problems. They fell off a few times but nothing major happened to them.

[Rick]

My nerd instincts tell me...

[67alecto]

I practice Krav Maga (the combat art) and I'm at the very beginning of parkour training. I wear glasses and without them I'm blind as a bat. I've read about the negative impacts that long-term contact lens use has on the eyes, and to be honest I'm always running around doing things and I feel it would be easy for me to be neglectful in taking proper care of contacts, not to mention the monetary cost and time cost.

I've had contacts for more than 20 years and there has been no impact to my eyes. In fact, once I switched to contacts in high school, my eyes stopped getting worse each year. The only thing I'm wary about is swimming, but otherwise contacts have served me just fine through tennis, basketball, jiu-jitsu, running, lifting, etc.

[Shortkaik]

I'm going to point you to this photo of me from last challenge:

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg876/scaled.php?tn=0&server=876&filename=9g3f.jpg&xsize=480&ysize=480

All of that was caused by getting my glasses smashed into my face at a soccer game. Sure, I'd probably still be bruised a bit without the glasses, but it was clear that the cuts and marks were all from my frames. I'm really lucky the lenses didn't break and get in my eye, but it still left a scar Not to mention the condition it left my brand new frames... luckily they were able to readjust them.

After that incident, I went in and got daily contacts. Like you, I prefer to wear my glasses on a daily basis, but on days when I'm playing soccer or something I've got some daily disposable contacts on hand to protect my glasses and my face. They don't require any maintenance, you just shove them in your eye and pop 'em in the trash when you're done. Easy-peasy. Cost me just over $1/pair, which I think is a pretty decent deal since I only wear them once or twice a week.

[Hermione Gainser]

I've done boxing, muay thai and krav maga with glasses. However, I could only wear them for certain aspects. Generally, I just changed into contacts before and after each class but ran out and have been too cheap/lazy to buy more. I'm pretty blind but could at least see my target (ah yes, blurry mass of black, red and tan) when I went sans eye wear. I've seen a lot of people use sports glasses (not quite goggles but they're like... plastic glasses?), too.

[Centurion]

I'll continue what a lot of people have said and champion the contact lenses route. I've never suffered adverse effects from wearing them (been using them about 5+ years now). I used to have a pair of glasses that were supposed to be some kind of memory flex material so if they got bent they just went back to their original shape, but they don't work forever. For me kickboxing and boxing whilst wearing glasses is clearly not an option, I could just go without but I find it pretty discomforting not being able to see properly so contacts are a god send. I use dailies firstly because they don't require any upkeep and secondly because there have been more times than I can count during sparring/competitions when I've been hit in the eye and had a contact pop out, obviously I don't want to have to stop everything to find it so it's easier to just carry on with slightly impaired vision and just stick another pair in when I get a chance

[CalvinHobbes]

I have to agree with the contact lenses. I've had them since I was in 7th grade...so...10 years ago. I stared with daily lenses just for sports because and when I wanted to look good, then I started getting "glasses headaches"....not sure why but whenever I wear glasses for prolonged periods of time now I get a headache. LOVE contacts. I was afraid I'd be neglectful with them as well but taking them out became a bedtime routine just like teeth brushing. I left the case in front of my tooth brush and would never forget.

I highly recommend contacts.

[Oogiem]

I've read about the negative impacts that long-term contact lens use has on the eyes, and to be honest I'm always running around doing things and I feel it would be easy for me to be neglectful in taking proper care of contacts, not to mention the monetary cost and time cost.

I've been wearing contacts for over 30 years. I started with various soft lenses with major daily care and have had all sorts over the years as contact technology improved. Now I wear bifocal contacts with a football shape for my astigmatism. I go through a pair a month. I wear the put in for a month at a time kind but I take mine out each night. Yes they are expensive, but for me glasses would be really heavy and thick, we're talking coke bottle lenses at best. I still have to wear reading glasses over my contacts to see up close. Contacts have greater peripheral vision and are not that hard to care for with current modern solutions. No issues with eye health either, especially the newer soft lenses that are permeable. Try them and see if you like them. Most folks won't go back to glasses once they adapt to contacts.

[Ataraxia]

All of that was caused by getting my glasses smashed into my face at a soccer game. Sure, I'd probably still be bruised a bit without the glasses, but it was clear that the cuts and marks were all from my frames. I'm really lucky the lenses didn't break and get in my eye, but it still left a scar Not to mention the condition it left my brand new frames... luckily they were able to readjust them.

I'm with you on that -- last week I got this rising elbow shot that jammed my glasses into my face and left this funny little glasses-shaped black-eye!

[Ataraxia]

My nerd instincts tell me...

http-~~-//youtu.be/X69NCLxwLEY?t=55s

This is actually my favourite answer.

See, I've been so reluctant up until now because in Krav Maga you're supposed to wear what you wear every day so that you become used to fighting in your normal state with no crutches, so to speak. I figured I should get used to fighting in glasses since I'm always wearing them. But last night we were doing chokehold escapes and I just couldn't make it out without those suckers popping off.

So, I've decided to compromise. During the advanced level classes where there is no time to mess around, I'll try wearing contacts, and then sometimes I'll wear no glasses and no contacts (Blast-shield Mode) to simulate street fights where I lose them. I hope other people who are learning combat arts that wear glasses constantly outside the class will try Blast-shield Mode regularly, just so they get a feel for what it might end up as in real life.

[MarcTheEngineer]

I get spider veins growing into my retina when I overwear my contacts so I only wear mine for when I'm playing sports where there is a possibility of getting my glasses smashed into my face.

Highly agree with the 1$ daily contacts thing - unless of course you are like myself with a strong prescription on the far-sighted side of the spectrum (they either don't make them or they are not shipped to Winnipeg)

Then just use the no-rub storage fluid... and don't overwear them.

Lucky because being far-sighted means I can forget my contacts and just take my glasses off to play (I actually do have a really strong prescription...)

[nicolakgreen]

I got contacts after I tried surfing and couldn't see what I was doing. It took me ages to get the hang of them, and I don't really like them - I just put up with them in order to be able to see. I'm far happier in my specs. Last week in krav I had to take them off so I need to practice getting the lenses in again so that I can wear them for krav - I just keep putting it off because it's such a hassle and my eyes are sore for a couple of hours after I get them in.

[Ataraxia]

Alright, so I tried contacts, and they really do allow for more focus and energy in active sports . But I learned something more important. It's the same principle that parkour is teaching me, and it's applicable in breaking bad habits, too. I learned that you just have to stop fighting so hard to accomplish something and just let go. It's the Force, it's the Matrix.

Example one: Conacts. Putting contacts into your eyes for the first time, half of you is fighting instinctively to keep you from putting stuff in your eyes. You'll never get them in if you try your best to keep your eyes open. You have to fully accept, "I'm gonna stick my finger in my eye and not even blink." Any time I start trying to fight the instincts I lose. After letting go completely I found I had perfect, almost stupid control over my body -- oh yeah, I can keep my eyes open, even if I'm poking them, You just have to not fight yourself.

Example two: Parkour. Even doing the most basic vault or roll or anything, you just have to commit to it. You have to go at full speed or you will never make it over the obstacle. You can't slow down or fight yourself because you won't make it. Once you fully commit and stop fighting the fear, you can finally begin to succeed.

Example three: Dieting. Fighting yourself and trying to adhere to a diet will not win in the end. You must accept that this is the new change in your life and there are no two ways about it. There's no choice, you've already decided. The choice was already made up in your mind.

It's funny that I've been told this so many times in so many ways, and I never really made it mine. Now that I've applied it, I know how I can apply it to other things. What do you guys think?