Gift Ideas for Health and Fitness Lovers
/Last week I gave you my best advice when to comes to picking out the perfect gift.
However, I know you come to me for your health, fitness, and overall living a better life needs. So as promised, here are some ideas to get you started (either for someone else in your life, or for you to give to the people who may be gifting you!).
Equipment
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love fun new toys? And fitness enthusiasts think of their equipment as new tosy. While new equipment in general is always fun, why not look for something a bit more personalized like a Star Wars kettlebell or a Gorilla Primal Bell? (à Get 10% off your first purchase at Onnit by clicking this link!)
A good quality yoga mat is an absolute must for any PiYo addict or aspiring yogi. My personal favorite is the Manduka Pro, but the Lululemon Mat is very popular and my second choice. A new mat bag is always a great option as well!
If you’re looking for stocking stuffers or something small you could always do something like mat cleaner, hand wraps for boxing, massage hooks, anti-chafe balm (trust me), or resistance band sets are just a few ideas to get you started.
Food/Nutrition Tools
Oh boy, I could have a field day here. Yes, I know you’ve probably heard that you shouldn’t give someone something with a “plug” for a gift (especially a husband to his wife), but if it’s the right plug and the right person that rule does not apply (see above, remember who you are gifting). After all, my husband got me a Vitamix for a wedding gift… and I couldn’t have been happier. Seriously.
The key here is to make sure the kitchen gadget is something that the person you are gifting would actually want or use. A KitchenAid Mixer or the attachments? Yes, please! Harry Potter cookie cutters, yup! But even though we need a new toaster, don’t even think about it.
Make sense?
Clothing/gift certificate
When you feel confident in what you are wearing your workout is better. Seriously. I don’t know if there is any science behind it, but from years of watching myself, my clients, and my students I’m convinced that this is a solid fact.
When it comes to athletic clothes, Athleta is my go-to store. (In fact, a large majority of my wardrobe is Athleta, even my “real people” clothes). While I don’t have a problem with spending money on athletic clothes because I wear them all day every day, not everyone feels the same way I do. So treat your fitness enthusiast with some quality fitness wear. Athleta clothing not only holds up to the wear, tear, and washing that fitness clothes go through, but the company is also a certified B-Corp, which means it gets an A+ in my books!
Another company I recommend is Zyia. While I’m not as familiar with all of their stuff yet, the few pieces I have I really like and are great quality. Plus! You may have a friend or family member you can support at the same time by purchasing through a party or a representative. After all, if you’re going to spend the money, why not spend it at businesses that support the people you know?
Pro Tip- Not sure what clothing item to get or in what size? Gift cards are one-size fits all! *wink*
Massage/Body Maintenance
Speaking of gift certificates, here’s another great gift certificate idea! Pamper the special people in your life with a massage, manicure/pedicure, or full on spa day. You can get gift certificates to their favorite locations, or if you’re on a budget, from you. (Just make sure you let them redeem their gift certificate when they want to, it doesn’t work if you keep pushing it off.)
Books
As you may know, I’m a Ravenclaw. For those of you who don’t speak Harry Potter (yes, another reference. Sorry, not sorry) that means I’m a bit of a Book Nerd. That being said, I always appreciate a good book. While I love using the library for most of my books, sometimes libraries either don’t have or don’t have enough copies of popular health, fitness, and personal development books. While this Healthy Living Book List I created last year may give you some ideas, if you have a book person in your life you may be able to find their wish list on either Amazon or Goodreads.
I said this last week, but it bears saying again, “I hope these tips and ideas help as we come up to the gift-giving season. However, it’s important to remember you don’t have to give gifts. I personally love gifting. Receiving is fun too, don’t get me wrong, but there is something about picking out the perfect gift for someone and watching them unwrap it that lights a spark inside of me. If it’s not your thing, that’s okay too. However, especially if you’ve exchanged gifts before consider setting the expectation that you’d prefer not to exchange gifts this year. While this doesn’t mean that you may not still receive a gift (especially if the person enjoys gifting), but you’ve set the expectation that you will not be gifting.
Last year, my husband and I decided we wouldn’t be exchanging gifts over Christmas. We were on our delayed honeymoon, and we decided we’d rather go on extra adventures or have a nice dinner out while abroad then exchange gifts. And it was perfect! However, we set the expectations in advance so neither of us was surprised.”
If you have any great gift ideas or tips, feel free to share them below. And if you’re looking for something for me… well, I’d be happy to give you a list ;)
