Well, it’s that time of year again. Time to rack your brain to come up with creative and thoughtful gift ideas for everyone on your list. There are so many options for gifts but for some reason finding the “right” gift is often a tedious and exhausting task.
So this year, why not gift a “healthy” gift? What is a healthy gift? Good question. I would say that a healthy gift is something that will benefit the overall wellbeing of the gift recipient. It could be improved fitness, emotional state, intelligence or a combination of these.
Now, of course the ideal gift would be to have a genie come and grant you the wish to be well – healthy and fit! Seeing as that is not reality, here are some ideas. Now this is not including a few somewhat obvious gift ideas that include fitness passes, workout clothes (not fun to guess someone’s size), yoga mat or accessories, cool water bottles, gym bags, fitness magazine subscriptions etc…
For the swimmer…
I simply can’t workout without music. It motivates me to push harder and keep my energy up. An Underwater MP3 Player would be the perfect gift for your favorite water beetle – whether seriously competitive or just in it for a great way to stay fit.
For anyone remotely techy – from someone just beginning a road to become healthier to the “serious business” fitness guru:
Fitness Bracelets or Trackers – There are so many to choose from. Look here for a great comparison chart to help you choose what your recipient may need. like… This can be as basic as a pedometer – to use to count your steps each day. This would be great for someone who is looking to start incorporating exercise into their lives.
Two that caught my eye for 2016 are:
Fingertip Pulse Oximeter – This gadget plugs right into your smart phone and allows you to measure Oxygen Saturation, Pulse rate, perfusion index and pleth variability index. You can get results workout by workout and track data trends over time. Look for this on Amazon.
Amiigo Fitness Bracelet – This is super cool! This bracelet allows you to track specific things like; exercise type, reps, sets, duration, speed, and intensity. It also tracks heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, overall activity level, and calories burned. Amiigo can determine whether you’re using the elliptical, running, swimming, doing bicep curls, squats, etc. It can track & identify different activities and then correlate these activities with physiological information such as heart rate and blood oxygen saturation.
For a close friend, spouse, family member or sibling: a professional consultation…
If someone close to you has expressed interest in getting fit or feeling better, eating better or a need to get educated about what any of this means, book a single or multiple sessions with a professional consultant. This could be a personal trainer or a nutritionist or life coach. One I would totally recommend for any woman in your life is Natalie Reimer Anderson. She is amazing!
For a gym rat…
Umoro One – This is so smart! It is a water bottle that, with a push of a button, releases up to 1.5 scoops of whey protein mix. No need to carry multiple bottles or containers. They ship free to Canada and is less than $30.
Skipping Rope – This is a classic fitness essential that can kick your butt. It’s a gift under $30 so it won’t break the bank. A skipping rope is easy to throw in your luggage or keep at home for a quick workout. Not getting to a gym will not be an excuse any more to not get a great workout in. Check out skipping rope workouts on line for some fun and challenging ideas. Here is one example that looks good: http://www.shape.com/fitness/cardio/jump-rope-workout-blast-fat-20-minutes
One rope to check out is Sweaty Betty for $25.
For the traveller, the new Mom, the gym-phobic or anyone really…
So this one that I love that doesn’t cost a dime! Spend some time to do your research to find an array of resources. I’m talking specifically about things found on the web. You can provide your BFF or aunt a list of links to educational or inspiring blogs (like ours!) to free fitness classes on line (from everything from yoga to Pilates to running to boot camps to salsa fitness). All for free! If you have the internet, you can workout. Think of this as 2016 version of the “mix tape” or a homemade gift.
So there you have it! Consider your shopping done – at least for all of the teens and adults on your list! I would argue that the gift of health is the greatest of all. Happy holidays!