Wondering what are some of the best fitness gifts to give this year for the Holidays? Here are a list of some of my favorite fitness products for all budgets and fitness levels:
1. Resistance bands are a perfect fitness gift for the beginner, at home-exerciser and traveling athlete. I’ve bought bands from Black Mountain Products and was very happy with their customer service.
Other sites like Amazon.com (online) or Walmart, Target, etc. may sell them as well. There are many brands out there, just make sure you see a product guarantee of some sort and a way to contact the company in case there’s a problem with the bands.
You can see how I use resistance bands to train in my video, here.
2. Dumbbells. Start with a set of 5 and 10lbs and move up from there. Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart, Academy, etc will sell them. I like the Powerblocks for their versatility and they take up very little room. Powerblocks are expensive, and a little unwieldy but you can get them in some seriously heavy weights which is nice if you or your gift recipient is an experienced lifter. A simple search on “Adjustable Dumbbell Set” on Amazon can give you the best ideas on what will suit your budget (and strength).
3. Ultimate Sandbag. The Ultimate Sandbag is another very versatile resistance training tool that will fit nicely under your fitness fanatics’ Christmas tree. If you’ve got a fitness friend who enjoys squats, presses, cleans, lunges, or general conditioning work, this might be for them (or you!). All they have to do is fill with some inexpensive play sand from Home Depot or Lowe’s. The bags can be made as light or as heavy as needed. My favorite use of the bags is for squats (of course.)
4. One of my favorite products for tracking activity, sleep, and calories burned is the FitBit. There are other activity tracker products out there, including the Jawbone and the Nike Fuelband to name a few. I’ve gotten these for my family members as gifts and have recommended them to several clients to get them moving and more aware of how keeping active positively impacts their health. The data will usually sync up wirelessly with your phone or computer, too. A basic pedometer will do just fine if you’re just trying to get moving, and these are usually available for under $20.
5. The GymBoss. I use the GymBoss for keeping me honest (got to LOVE that loud beep) when it comes to any interval based workout (bouts of “high intensity” activity interspersed with periods of active rest) or for breaking the monotony of long runs (2 mins of running with 1 min of walking). The GymBoss is a small, easy to use, repeating interval timer and is super light and versatile. It’s also around $20.
6. An Inzer Powerlifting Belt. I’ve had my belt for years and years and it still feels and look brand new. The quality of the belt is simply incredible and if you’re willing to dish out over $75 for a high quality weight belt for the avid heavy weight lifter in your life, this belt is the gift for them!
7. If you’re the gift certificate type and would rather give money to someone on your “nice” list, I’d suggest buying a gift certificate from a reputable site like bodybuilding.com. I’ve been super happy with their customer service and fast shipping. There’s a wide variety of supplements, apparel, and products to choose from. For the fitness freak, it’s like being a kid in a candy store.
8. Food delivery service. The #1 complaint I hear from busy clients is that they don’t have enough time to prep meals or go shopping for healthy, nutritious foods. Whether this is for you, or a friend, look into Instacart (not available in all cities) or search Groupon for “Personal Trainer Food” or “Healthy Meal Delivery Service” and see what pops up in your search. This option is best suited for someone willing to spend $99 and above.
9. Speaking of Groupon and bargains, Groupon is a great place to shop around for a fitness class you’ve been wanting to try. Bollywood classes, bellydancing, kettlebell classes, bootcamps, yoga, spinning, and pilates studios offer lots of discounts, especially during the holidays, and often have great deals for both you and your buddy to try.
10. Portable, wireless, Bluetooth enables speakers. The Bose SoundLink, JamBox, UE Boom or a similar product so that the workout enthusiast in your life can blast the tunes while getting his or her workout on outdoors, in the garage, home gym, etc.
11. A really good blender. The Ninja Nutri Ninja Pro was rated in 2015 as a Consumer Report Best buy and is under $100 (you might be able to find it cheaper at Amazon). Everyone loves the Vitamix, but that is a bit pricier. You can see the comparison of the two blenders, offered by Consumer Reports here. Because everyone loves smoothies.
12. A year round subscription for tasty, tasty coffee. Most fitness enthusiasts thrive on a special fuel that is also known as caffeine. No calories, gives you the energy to power through an early morning, boring meetings, and your workouts. Coffee is the first thing I reach for in the morning, why not gift a year’s worth to the coffee lover in your life?
13. There’s a new type of grill that’s as easy as the George Foreman Grill, known as the Ronco Ready Grill. You can put frozen (yes, frozen) foods all mixed together, into this vertical grill. Super easy cleanup for the low-maintenance chef in your life.
14. Flat soled lifting shoes. The Chuck Taylor by Converse is my absolute favorite weight lifting shoe, and I own several pairs. You can get the lifter in your life a pair for about $50. Not only will they be appropriate for lifting, but you could also use them for casual wear. The flatter sole is better than a runner shoe’s sole for exercises that require you to push through your heel–for instance, when straightening up a from a split squat. I will often cue the client to push through their front heel when rising from this exercise, and a cushy thick runners heel (that is often made to help pronation) doesn’t enable the lifter to rise the same way as a flat sole shoes, like Chucks will do for you. Get a pair!
15. A Strong Powerful Female T-shirt. Know a man or a woman that loves to lift and likes to show it? Then check out my line of empowering T-shirts, available for both men, women, and kids too. Check out the full line here. Hope to see you and your family in my gear in 2016! 🙂
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