Fitness Gift Ideas for the holidays
Take a look at this long and extensive list and see if it helps.
Do you receive those wonderfully attractive catalogs in the mail for calorie-laden cheese-and-sausage gift baskets? You’ve probably sent these gifts in other years, hoping to please the palates of those you care about.
Today, most people are conscious of their weight and trying to become more fit. So what can you give family and friends to encourage healthier eating and exercise habits? Carole Carson—dubbed ‘An Apostle for Fitness’ by the Wall Street Journal—is the coach for the AARP Fat 2 Fit online community and the author of From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction. She offers this list of ideas:
Gifts for Under $15:
- •    Resistance band
- •    Dumbbells
- •    Jump rope
- •    Exercise mat
- •    Water bottle
- • The Ultimate Calorie Counter by Sheila Buff
- •    Health-oriented cookbook or subscription to a health-oriented magazine
- • DietMinder (a food and fitness journal)
- •    Stretch shoelaces (provide incredible comfort by flexing with the motion of your foot)
Gifts for $15–$35
- •    Fitness ball
- •    Online personal training program (custom designed for the recipient)
- •    Exercise videos
- •    Heart-rate monitor
- •    Pedometer
- •    Gym bag
- •    Fitness watch
- •    Chin-up bar
- •    Fitness gloves
- •    Body-fat tester
- •    Bathroom scale
- •    Hand weights
- •    Fresh-fruit basket
Gifts for $35–$100
- •    Full dumbbell and barbell set
- •    Yoga kit, including mat, water jug and exercise towel
- •    Gift certificate for a massage
- •    Sports clothes (e.g., shoes, warm-up suit)
- •    Pilates or yoga class
- •    Resistance chair
- •    Netflix one-year membership (for workout DVDs)
- •    Mini-stepper with resistance bands
Gifts for Over $100
- •    Wii Fit video game
- •    Bodybugg calorie management system
- •    Treadmill
- •    Bicycle
- •    Inversion table
- •    Elliptical trainer
- •    Free-weight bench
- •    Recumbent bench
- •    Mini-trampoline rebounder
- •    Fitness gym membership
What better way to say ‘I love you’ to family and friends than to give a gift that encourages fitness. And what better way to start the New Year than to team up with those around you and set fitness goals for 2010, whether they involve weight loss, increased stamina or more healthful eating.
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