Monday, July 09, 2007

Nike MAXSIGHT - The Contact Lense for Sports

Nike has teamed up with contact lens maker Bausch and Lomb to create contact lenses called MAXSIGHT. They call these lenses performance-enhancing contact lenses. Actually, these are just tinted version of daily disposal lenses for athletes. Why tinted? Nike claims that that MAXSIGHT will reduce glare and improve visual acuity.

According to the website, these lenses block nearly all the sun's damaging UVA and UVB rays just like sunglasses, but their optics can also give athletic performance a boost.

You can select between amber and grey-green lenses. Amber will be meant for fast-moving ball sports in variable light conditions (such as baseball, soccer and tennis) while the grey-green lens is suitable for sports played in bright sunlight where glare and comfort are primary concerns (such as golf, running and rugby).

So, technically, what makes Nike MAXSIGHT different from other tinted contact lens? According to the website, the tint on the Nike MAXSIGHT lens covers the entire surface of the lens whereas cosmetic tints usually cover a much smaller surface area of the lens as a way to isolate and alter the perceived color of the wearer’s iris. Also, the specific tints on the Nike MAXSIGHT lenses were specifically made to block certain wavelengths of light whereas other tinted lenses serve no function and are strictly for cosmetic purposes.

The inventor of the lenses, Alan Reichow, mentioned that MAXSIGHT sharpen and improve contrast, so they have a brightening effect. Therefore, it can help track fast-moving game activity under variable light conditions. He claimed that the lenses make objects appear sharper by eliminating 90 percent of blue light which is the primary component of "visual noise." Not only for athletes, normal recreational wearer can also gain benefits - less general eye strain and the issues associated with fogging, scratching or sweating behind plastic lenses of prescription sports goggles or glasses. Sound great?



However, I do not buy in to the inventor's claim saying that the red tainted lenses will give an intimidating look to opponent. Imagine you are playing tennis, your opponent will be standing so far away and I doubt you can really see what color is his eyes! Anyway, who cares about your eyes' color in a competitive sports?


The Nike MAXSIGHT lenses are daily wear lenses that need to be replaced monthly.

In the United States, Nike MaxSight is sold at the price of $60 for a six-month supply. It is available corrective and non-corrective versions. For the time being, it is available only in the US and Europe.

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Category: Fitness Gadget

Friday, July 06, 2007

Jonathan Wong and His Workout Experience

This post is written by one of readers of this blog, Jonathan. He shared with us how he started in gym, the mistakes he made, lessons he learnt and how he set his fitness goals. This article is a must read.

"Hi all, I'm Jonathan Wong. I have been involved in fitness for the past 5 years or so. I am currently a certified Les Mills instructor in Body Pump, Body Balance and RPM. Fitness is my passion as well as profession.

I actually started working out seriously as an offshoot to my interest in rock climbing. Rock climbing was the first sport that I truly enjoyed, so I was climbing indoors and out about 4 to 5 times a week. And being a little kiasu (kiasu means fear of losing in Hokkien, one of Chinese's dialects), I was trying all sorts of ways to improve my climbing performance. So began my journey of research, experimentation and learning into the world of fitness. There are definitely no shortages of resources for one to learn from, I feel it is only understanding and choosing what is relevant and useful for the given situation that one is in.

My exercise preferences have slowly changed over the years in line with my fitness levels and knowledge of training principles. I personally favor workouts that are challenging and intense, but also appreciate active rest days to loosen up the body with light cardiovascular exercise and stretching. The bulk of my training comes from the classes that I teach.

In addition, I train about 2 to 3 times a week using short (30 minutes or less), intense, circuit based workouts. These circuits have combinations of weight training and cardiovascular elements. Circuit training is one of the best ways to workout if you have limited time in the gym.

The things that motivate me to step into the gym or to get out and go running have evolved as I got fitter. Initially I just wanted to be a stronger climber, but now, I work out because I love the way it makes feel. Energetic, strong, supple, agile, fast... just to name a few.

In addition, I do set some short-term and long-term goals as a guide. So, the key to staying motivated is finding you own driving force. Saying "I want to lose weight" is never enough. Saying "I aim to lose 1lb per week through watching what I eat and working out 3 times a week of 30 minutess cardiovascular training, 20 minutes of weight training and 10 minutes of stretching per session" is more the real deal. The difference should be obvious.

One thing that I learnt throughout the years is the danger of overtraining. It is something that has crept up on me without me even realising it until much later. The signs are subtle at first but can get full blown - lacklustre workouts, fatigue, constant muscle soreness, loss of muscle mass, and even a bad bout of fever or flu. I now listen to my body more and on days that I don't feel 100%, I either take a rest or have a much lighter workout. So the moral of the story? Train hard and rest well. Your body will appreciate it.

Fitness is a lifestyle. It is a conscious step we make each day to take care of ourselves. I like to think that keeping fit is an investment for my future. The minutes and hours spent each day exercising could mean added years of vitality and energy in my later years. I definitely want to be able to keep up with my grand kids one day. So put on your shoes, let's run!"

Mun's comment: I have published few posts based on the feedback and e-mails from blog readers. The contents are written without knowing that they would be shared as posts in the first place. However, last week, when I followed a link in a comment left by Jonathan, I was amazed by what this guy is doing. So, I requested him to be a guest for this blog and he sent me his post the next day. Thanks, Jonathan!


This is one of the video clips showing Jonathan working out with body weights and weights, including kettlebells. (Don't try the workouts yourself without professional training.)

What worth me mentioning again about what Jonathan wrote is the part of him mentioning setting fitness goals. A quantifiable goals with a definite time line will make the direction clearer and push you harder to achievie them. He also mentioned about the painful experience he had after overtraining.

If you like this post, let me know. Let Jonathan know too by leaving your comment here. I hope that he will be back with more excellent post like this! Also, if you want to contribute to this blog, feel free to write to me. Who knows, your post will be featured here next.

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Category: Motivation