Vision and Skin Care – 50 for 50 Ideas 39 and 41

posted on: November 20, 2018
author: Brian Lomax, Ed.D.

Idea #39 – Get your vision checked

In April of 1990, I started working at Shawmut Bank in downtown Boston. It was my first job in the big city, and I was excited about it. Unfortunately, that’s when my vision problems began. For several hours per day, I was staring at a mainframe terminal with a green screen, and it was giving me headaches. After a few months, when I looked at the clock on the office wall, I couldn’t see it very well. It was fuzzy. Then I started having trouble driving at night, and my friends refused to ride with me. I was also having difficulty picking up the ball while playing tennis. My volleys and return of serve were most affected. It was becoming all too apparent that I would need glasses. I wasn’t pleased.

However, the damage was done and it was time to move forward. So I got glasses and the impact on my tennis game was positively amazing. I could see the ball incredibly well, and my game jumped a level. I recall playing some of the best tennis of my life right after getting my glasses. And while I have had the same prescription for the last 25+ years, I think it’s time for me to get my vision checked again. Things are getting fuzzy! How about you? How’s your vision? Get it checked, and if it needs some correction look at it as a positive for your performance. You might just start playing better than ever!

Idea #41 – Take care of your skin

Another health item I need to attend to is going to a dermatologist. If you play your sport outdoors like I do, then you realize the importance of skin care. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and you don’t want to take it for granted. I know several tennis players who have had skin cancer, and while they can still play, they have to be covered from head-to-toe when they do. In terms of prevention of skin related issues, there are debates over the usage of sunscreen, and about which chemicals to be wary of when you do use them. I’m not qualified to make any recommendations in this area, but I do my best to use sunscreen whenever I play. Unfortunately, I’m not very good at re-applying it during a match.

For a long and healthy career in your sport, pay attention to your skin care. See a dermatologist. Monitor your time in the sun. It may not seem like a big deal now, and that’s the way you want to keep it.