Last Updated on October 16, 2023 by Alex PT
Boxing with contacts is common, with many fighters wearing prescription or protective lenses during matches. It enhances vision and safety, reducing the risk of accidental eye injury in the ring.
Can You Do Boxing With Contact Lenses?
Yes, it is possible to participate in boxing while wearing contact lenses, and many fighters do so. Here are the details regarding boxing with contact lenses:
- Enhanced Vision: Contact lenses improve vision by correcting refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. This is essential for a sport like boxing where visual acuity is crucial.
- Improved Safety: Wearing contacts can enhance safety in the ring. Clear vision allows boxers to better judge the distance to their opponent’s punches, reducing the risk of getting hit.
- Comfort and Stability: Modern contact lenses are designed to be comfortable and provide stability on the eye. Soft contact lenses are commonly used in sports because they conform to the shape of the eye and stay in place even during intense physical activity.
- Reduced Risk of Eye Injury: Properly fitting contact lenses can provide an extra layer of protection for the eyes. They can help shield the cornea and reduce the chance of abrasions or injuries caused by stray blows or head clashes.
- Prescription and Tinted Lenses: Some boxers may require prescription lenses to correct their vision. There are also tinted contact lenses available to reduce glare and enhance contrast, which can be advantageous in bright ring lighting.
- Hygiene and Maintenance: Boxers must maintain good hygiene when wearing contact lenses. Regular cleaning, proper storage, and adherence to wearing schedules are essential to prevent infections or discomfort during a match.
- Considerations for Daily Disposables: Some boxers prefer daily disposable contact lenses, which eliminate the need for cleaning and storage. They can be worn and discarded after a single use.
- Consultation with an Eye Care Professional: Boxers should consult with an eye care professional, such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist, to ensure they choose the most suitable type of contact lenses and receive guidance on proper eye care.
Training Your Eyesight Without Lenses
There are two main strategies that people with bad vision can use to develop their boxing skills and techniques. They include;
1. Engaging In A Lot Of Bag Work: knowing that a punching bag will not fight you back, is a good way to practice your moves and develop your boxing skills.
2. Engage In Some Shadowboxing: Without the use of your eyesight, engaging in shadowboxing gives you the alternative to train your muscle memory.
Using Sports Glasses
Boxing is one of those combat sports you can’t practice with regular glasses. This is because boxing involves a lot of hits in the face, and it won’t just end well if you’re wearing regular fashion glasses. It would be smashed into pieces when you receive a hard hit in the face and the pieces can get in your eyes or the skin of your face which could cause serious injuries. So, the best thing to do is buy a pair of prescription glasses that are designed for combat sports. A pair of prescription glasses should be certified as safe to use for boxers. It is normally built with a polycarbonate frame a unique type of plastic that is designed to resist hard hits and bend rather than break into pieces.
Corrective Eye Surgery – Lasik
Lasik corrective eye surgery has been an effective method used to correct eye problems. It is quite expensive but you’ll be assured of 100% vision correction. It will be cheaper for you to do your corrective eye surgery in Thailand. They have had an excellent reputation for successful Lasik eye surgery at a reduced cost in Western Europe or North America.
Risks Of Wearing Contact Lenses While Sparring
There are going to be risks for you as a boxer when you get into the ring for a serious fight or just for sparring. The risk is likely going to be heightened if you’re planning to wear a contact. We’ve composed a list of the most common dangers of wearing contact lenses during sparing or a real fight. Let’s check them out!
Losing Contact Completely
Losing contact lenses after receiving a hard hit to the face is one of the most common risks of wearing contact lenses during sparring or competitive boxing matches. You might think the chance of losing the contact is slim, it still does happen. If you ask around ex-boxers with eye issues, they will tell you the risks of boxing with a contact.
Losing Your Contact In Your Eye
You can lose your contact lenses in two ways. Firstly, it can get off your face and hit the ground. Secondly, it can just fly into your eyes after receiving a hard hit, which is even more complicated and problematic. You can lose your eyes completely if a broken glass gets into it.
Eye Swelling
Boxing involves getting hard hits in the face and other body parts above the waist. If you’ve been watching boxing mat he’s, you’ll see some fighters with swollen eyes and fractured faces. Just imagine the kind of hit that can displace the contact lenses from your face and cause more complications and severe injuries. It is just not a smart move to wear contact lenses while sparring or competing in competitive boxing.
FAQs
Can I Box At All With Bad Vision?
It’ll be a bad move for someone with bad vision to start boxing because the game is a combat sport that requires envisioning punches before reacting to them. You can’t defend yourself in boxing if you can’t see the punches coming. So, it’s a bad idea to box with legally bad vision. However, having a bad vision doesn’t stop you from learning other martial arts. There’s a variation of Kung Fu that is organized for people with bad vision.
Why Is It A Bad Idea To Box With Contact Lenses?
Practicing boxing with contact lenses is not a good idea for people who wants to go far in the sport. As a matter of fact, you are not allowed to fight with contact lenses in competitions. It is prohibited because the boxing associations believe that boxers who fight with contact will delay the time to finish bouts by asking the ref to allow you to adjust your lenses after getting slight hits in the face
In Conclusion
It isn’t advisable to spar with contact lenses on, but you can still train with it without any hassle. Even though the protective headgear minimizes the risk of displacing the lens, it’s still risky. Just like we said earlier, you won’t be able to participate in competitive boxing with contact lenses because it’s exclusively prohibited. If you’re having issues with your eyes, there are better ways to maximize your chances of competing in boxing.
You can go for Lasik surgery which corrects your vision for good or go for prescription sports glasses which protect your eyes and allow you to fight. We’ve reached the closing chapter of this informative article. We hope you were able to find good resources in your quest to know if you can wear contact lenses while boxing. If you have any questions or comments about the article topic, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks!
References:
https://fightquality.com/2021/04/07/the-best-contact-lenses-for-combat-sports/
https://www.quora.com/Can-I-wear-contact-lenses-while-boxing
