Taking on Today’s Latest Fitness Trends with Better Vision

The latest fitness trends for 2018 are guaranteed to get you moving, and San Antonio has them all. Whether you’re into yoga, boxing, body weight training, paddle boarding or interval training, here are a few of the workouts you can try right here in our city. And while exercise is good for your health, you need your vision to be in shape to keep up with you.  If you rely on glasses or contacts to see, they may be holding you back from enjoying some of these fun ways to get and stay fit:

HIIT

High-intensity interval training continues to be the #1 fitness trend this year, according to the 2018 Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends.  But HIIT is not for the faint of heart. The workout combines short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a short rest and recovery period. The good news is that the program can take less than 30 minutes to complete. It’s worth all the sweat because you fire up your metabolism, reduce fat and build muscle – getting fit and toned in the process. But the downside is that it is nearly impossible to keep your glasses from bouncing all over your face while you’re doing burpees, squats, planks, and lunges.  And some of all that sweat is likely to get in your eyes and under your contacts, making a tough workout that much tougher.

Virtual Reality Workouts

VR provides a totally immersive experience that can make your 60-minute workout go by in the blink of an eye. You can run through the Italian countryside or cycle through the Swiss Alps without ever leaving the comforts of your home.

The Omni by Virtuix is a 360° small treadmill that allows you to chase bad guys as your sneakers interact with sensors on the treadmill.  The VirZOOM is an exercise bike with a unique set of sensors and controls designed to work with Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR to become part of the VR experience. Put the headset on, climb on the stationary bike, and your activity on the bike becomes part of your VR experience.

And while the VR goggles are difficult to position over glasses, the real problem is moisture, because getting sweat in your eyes or under your contacts with a headset on is no fun.

Paddleboard Yoga

If you’re brave enough to try doing yoga poses on a narrow wooden board in the middle of the water, you may have already experienced the fastest growing water sport in the world.

Unlike surfing, which can be physically challenging and intimidating, the learning curve for paddleboard yoga is extremely short. Paddleboard yoga brings together two mindful practices – Stand Up Paddle and yoga. With a paddleboard as a platform for yoga in the great outdoors, you will take your yoga to a different level and your mind to a peaceful place.

But wait – doesn’t that mean you may run the risk of your glasses falling into the water and finding a new home at the bottom of the lake or ocean? Hmm, yes, it does.  Oh, and don’t forget, open water is not recommended for wearing contacts either – the risk of contamination is too high.

Body Weight Training

There are a lot of benefits to body weight training. It’s convenient, it can be done anywhere, it requires little space and it’s inexpensive!

You might think body weight training is just push-ups and pull-ups, but it also includes squats, lunges, burpees and much more. Any exercise that involves your body weight can be included in a body weight training program, as you use your own body weight to strengthen yourself and improve your overall balance and flexibility.

You’ll see great results with body weight training because the exercises target big muscle groups, which in turn help you burn significant calories.

But take note: push-ups, planks, burpees and other exercises done face down aren’t easy to do with glasses. They’ll most likely slide down your nose and end up on the floor underneath you.

It’s clear that glasses and contacts can be holding you back from reaching your full fitness potential. If

your need for vision correction is stopping you from seeing clearly and achieving your goals, maybe it’s time to take a look at laser vision correction options, like LASIK.

For more information on LASIK and other laser vision correction surgeries, call us at 210-615-9358. We’ll be happy to schedule a free consultation to discuss the benefits of LASIK and how it can improve your workouts and active lifestyle.

 

Be sure to talk to one of our doctors about not only the benefits of vision correction, but also any risks of vision correction that may pertain to your individual needs and circumstances.