Contact lenses are not just for stationary wear, they are also perfectly suited for more lively types of activities including daily exercise and low to high active sports. Some may worry if contacts are able to withstand the impact of such activities, with the good news being- yes, they are perfect for exercise or playing sport. In fact, they are actually better for your eyes, and let us tell you why.

The benefits of wearing contacts whilst being active

- Better peripherals: Wearing contacts allows for extended peripheral vision without your view being obstructed by the frames of your glasses. This increases your clarity and field of vision which can be highly beneficial during a game of sport.

- Helps you to see clearly: As contact lenses hug snugly to your eye, they will not move around if you are running or jumping about. You will find your vision is consistently clear which helps your overall performance at the gym or on the field.

- Contact lenses are safer: Because you do not have to worry about your lenses falling out, this means your vision is stable and reduces any cause for error. When wearing glasses, you face the problem of them potentially getting damaged, fogging up, or falling off. Other than being bothersome, damaging your glasses can increase the risk of injury to your eye caused from the broken glass from its lens. Contacts do not have this problem, however, if you happen to get hit in the eye, make sure you check your lens for damage, and remove as soon as you can. Wearing damaged lenses can cause abrasion to your cornea. If needing to wear protective head gear, glasses can construct the gear from fitting properly which can feel uncomfortable and cause for safety concerns. When wearing contacts, your protective gear will fit how it is meant to.

- Level of comfort: Wearing contacts should feel like you are barely wearing anything at all over your eyes, allowing for total comfort when participating in low or high active sports. This gives you more time to focus on your exercise goals or your game at hand. No one wants to waste time being distracted by fumbling around with their eyewear.

The best contacts to wear for sport and exercise

The majority of contacts these days are made with advanced technology to ensure complete level of comfort for your eyes. They also focus on increased oxygen flow that significantly reduces the effects of dry eye. For these reasons your everyday contacts will most likely be sufficient for the types of exercise and sports you play. Daily disposable lenses are recommended for people who like low upkeep, and for first time wearers, we recommend choosing a soft hydrogel lens over a rigid gas permeable (RGP) hard lens. Soft lenses are easier for your eyes to adjust to, and tend to offer better hold during intense movement thanks to their flexible material. This is not to say you cannot wear your RGP lenses during sport- again, thanks to the advanced technology of how contacts are developed, the rigid material of hard lenses are now designed to better stay attached to your eyes. However, in high impact sports, they do pose a higher risk of being knocked out, so just be aware of this, and consider that soft lenses may be a better option in those cases. If in doubt, have a chat to your eye doctor about the type of exercise you do and what lens will be best suited for you.

What happens when I sweat?

When working out or playing a game of sport, it is inevitable that we will sweat. The good thing about contact lenses, unlike glasses, is the sweat will not cause our eyewear to fog up or slip down our nose. When we perspire, our contact lenses for the most part will not be affected. Mild sweat may not even make it into our eyes, but when it does, it can cause stinging, and like any form of water entering our eyes- may harbour the risk of bacteria getting in. If you happen to get sweat droplets in your eye, after your workout or sporting event, safely remove your lenses and clean them with solution to ensure any sweat and dirt is removed. Similarly, if you are wearing daily disposables, simply discard after use. If sweat is becoming a regular occurrence or inconvenience to your eyes, you may like to consider wearing a head sweatband to keep sweat at bay.

Avoid water sports

Whilst it is true that contacts are great for low or high impact exercise and sports, they are not suitable for water sports. This is purely because water can harbour harmful bacteria, that can cause contamination to your lenses if entering your eyes- in some cases leading to serious infection. For competitive swimmers or water sport athletes, you may like to talk with your healthcare professional about acquiring prescriptive goggles which will enable your performance underwater, without the worry and risk of exposing your contacts to harmful bacteria.

Care for your lenses after exercise

It is a good idea to take your lenses out and give them a good clean with solution after you have finished with your exercise. This is to prevent any dirt or debris that may have found its way inside. Once clean, you may put them back in again and go about your day. For some people, they may prefer to have a separate pair of lenses for their physical exercise such as daily disposable contacts which can be easily disposed of once finished. This reduces the amount of maintenance needed, eliminating the need to clean the lenses after use. Once disposed, your everyday lenses can be put in again, or if you use dailies as your everyday, go grab a new pair. In some cases, your lenses may dry out after exercise. This is more common if you are exercising or playing sport outdoors as opposed to indoors. If this happens, refresh your eyes with contact safe eye drops to add moisture back in.