Exercising with contact lenses

Regular exercise has many benefits for your body and mind. With warmer weather for outdoor activities on the horizon there's no better time than now to revamp your workout routine. 

Whether you’re on the tennis court or still stretching in the garden, soft contact lenses are the most convenient and comfortable option for correcting your vision during exercise.  

5 Reasons to trade your glasses for contact lenses during exercise:

• Wider field of view: Firstly, there’s no restrictive frame obstructing your view. Secondly, contact lenses perfectly fit to the curvature of the eyes, giving you a wider field of view than glasses – a crucial advantage for sportspeople.

• Stable vision: Contact lenses won’t jostle around or slip down your face during a workout, giving you the freedom to focus on your game.

• Break-resistant: Contacts provide a practical and safe alternative to wearing glasses while exercising, especially during sports. If you’re accidentally hit by a ball, they won’t break and cause potential injury to your eye, and you’ll also save yourself an expensive trip to the eye doctor.

• Crisp clarity: Your lenses won’t be affected by adverse weather conditions such as rain and fog, nor will they steam up in sunnier climes.

• They won’t get in the way: Less obtrusive and cumbersome than glasses, contact lenses won’t interfere with headphones, helmets or sunglasses.

How to exercise safely in contact lenses

Keep it clean

It’s super important to be diligent about lens hygiene, especially after coming into contact with dirt and sweat. Always wash your hands before touching your lenses to minimise the risk of nasty bacteria entering your eye and causing infection. If clean water and soap are not readily available, carry hand sanitiser or wet wipes, but be sure to choose natural-based products without harsh chemicals such as Triclosan. If you do use hand sanitiser, we recommend waiting a few minutes before touching your eye. 

Carry back-ups 

It’s a good idea to refresh your lenses after a workout. Dailies can simply be replaced with a fresh pair. If you wear monthlies, you’ll need to clean your lenses with a solution before reapplying them. This eliminates the risk of exposing your eyes to harmful bacteria that may have attached to your contacts during exercise. If you’re planning to go the distance, it’s handy to carry a small pouch packed with backup lenses, cleaning solution and eye drops — just in case. 

Switch to Dailies

If you have an active lifestyle and find cleaning your monthlies a hassle, consider switching to dailies. Comfy and convenient, you can simply remove and discard the lens at the end of your workout, without the fuss of cleaning or carrying solution. Easy. 

Stay hydrated 

Our eyes need tears to stay healthy. When the body is dehydrated, our eyes can become dry and sore – a common condition called “dry eye.” Sweat trickling into the eyes can cause further irritation. 

Keep artificial tears (lubricating eye drops) on hand to help soothe dry eyes and wash away any dirt or irritants. Drinking plenty of water before a workout will help flush the salt out of your body and keep your eyes hydrated. And if sweat is stinging your eyes, try wearing an absorbent headband. 

Stay sun smart

We all know that protecting our skin against the sun is a given. But many of us don’t realise our eyes are also susceptible to sun damage. Extended exposure to sunlight without eye-protection can increase the risk of developing eye diseases, including macular degeneration and cataracts, in the future 

If you regularly workout outside, or exercise for extended periods of time, you should protect your eyes with a solid pair of shades. Just look for the CE mark and you’ll know if your sunnies meet EU safety standards. Lots of contact lenses have UV filters, and though they’re not a substitute for sunglasses, they offer extra protection. 

Skip the dip

If you’ve been wearing lenses for a while, you’ll probably have heard the rule of three S’s: don’t sleep, shower or swim in your lenses. Why? Because exposing your lenses to any type of water, including tap water, swimming pools, hot tubs, and the ocean, can cause discomfort and even infection. 

Prescription goggles are a great alternative, or if your sight doesn’t need a great deal of correction, simply remove your lenses before taking a dip. 

Keeping your eyes healthy and hydrated during exercise is made easy with Johnson & Johnson’s range of eye-care products.

Perfect for frequent outdoor activity or active lifestyles, Blink-N-Clean Lens drops provide relief to lens-wearers experiencing discomfort from dirt and debris. This unique formula is designed to flush away protein build up and leave your lenses feeling fresh and clean, all without the hassle of removing your contacts. Simply apply one or two drops, 4 times a day, for clearer, more comfortable contacts.

Blink Eye-Lid Wipes are specifically designed to combat discomfort and irritation outside the eye, by gently removing debris build up on the eye-lid and surrounding area. They are conveniently packed in individual sterile sachets – ideal for keeping in your gym bag, hand luggage or at your desk at work. Made with chamomile, and entirely preservative free, these soothing eyelid wipes provide an effective cleaning solution for even the most sensitive skin.