Any active person knows that the most frustrating thing in the world is not being able to perform on a sports field, a track, or any other sporting equipment when their body lets them down. That's why it's important to remember that just because you wear glasses, it doesn't mean you can't participate in your favourite sports. Many professional athletes wear glasses or contact lenses in their sport, so it is entirely possible to manage vision problems and still enjoy a fulfilling physical life.

For the most part, you should not wear glasses for contact sports. For sports such as rugby, soccer and hockey, there are simply too many opportunities for the glasses to come off and break. You will need to speak to your optometrist if you need vision correction for game play, as the best solution may require contact lenses.The majority of sports are fine to wear glasses however. This includes activities such as squash, tennis, cycling and golf. In these sports, the nature of the game allows you to safely wear glasses and enjoy the benefits of corrective eyewear.

There are a few things to remember if you choose to wear glasses during physical exercise. One of the main things is to ensure you tell your optometrist of your plans. They or she will be able to fit you with a pair of glasses that use durable, unbreakable polycarbonate for the lens. This means that even if you do accidentally knock the glasses off or have a mishap, they are much less likely to incur damage.

The frame of the glasses is important too. Normal prescription glasses are made for daily wear in the office and in usual activities, and are suited best to very low activity levels as they are made to sit correctly. Normal frames are also usually chosen for how they look - not how they perform under impact. For this reason, you will also need to ensure your frames for sports glasses are just as durable as the lenses.

If you wear spectacles made out of glass lenses, there is a higher chance that they may break if you come into contact with an object or other person, which can not only cost you a new pair, but can cause damage to your eyes as well. Simply put, it is better to purchase a pair that is contact-sport friendly and keep your glass lenses away from the sports field.

In sports such as surfing, kayaking or boardsailing, you will definitely need to consider either forgoing your glasses if possible or wearing eye protection over the top of contact lenses. This includes goggles or a special type of non-prescription plastic glasses, which will help to protect you from losing your prescription eyewear and can minimise injury if you encounter contact during play.

Some sports including hockey will require goalies to wear full face masks, in which case you can wear protective eyewear underneath most helmets.It is entirely possible to wear prescription glasses during physical activity. In fact, studies have shown that wearing them for sports such as tennis can improve your game - even if you only notice a slight blurriness when you don't wear them.

Because of this, it's important to speak to your optometrist about finding the best solution for you, so you can carry on playing the sports you love, and winning at them, too.