1. Personalized Water bottle. Whether we run, swim, do yoga or lift weights, we all drink water before, during, or after we workout…so a water bottle is something most fitness lovers always need! And buying bottled water is not a cheap way to go. Stainless steel bottles work well because they can be put into a dishwasher to clean and they are very durable. Try the Sophiefont water bottle from the Catholic Company (of course I am going to put a plug in for our company…but these are really good looking and totally unique)!
2. Garmin Watch. These are not cheap, but are great for the runners on your list, especially if they might be training for a race soon. I don’t have a Garmin, but most of my running buddies do and they love them (maybe a little too much) for keeping track of splits, mileage, and average pace per mile. Although I have always fancied myself as a purest who doesn’t even wear a watch much of the time, I have to admit to asking my friends for all the data their Garmins have collected on a run.
3. Workout Wear. This doesn’t have to be expensive. I like the assortment of running/workout clothing at Dick’s Sporting Goods, and even Marshalls has decent exercise clothing. However for the gurus on your list, you might check out LuLu Lemon and Athleta…Although more expensive, both have “sassy” workout clothes (for various kinds of athletics-running, yoga, pilates, barre classes, etc.) made of extremely comfortable material!
4. Fitness journal. Runners World Magazine has a training log that I really like. It gives ample space for things like place, time, and comments about how training is going. When we write down our workouts, and keep track of our training, we are more likely to be consistent about our exercise. Most runners and those who exercise often, like fitness diaries, and they make a nice, yet inexpensive gift for Christmas.
5. Customized fitness bars and shakes. You Bars are fun gifts that are also healthy. Customize the bars with a name and with your choice of the perfect ingredients. You choose from a selection of fruits, nuts, grains, sweeteners, protein, infusers, etc. They will be impressed when they open these and see their own name on them!
6. A gift certificate for a sports massage. For those who are dealing with the aches and pains of maintaining a fitness lifestyle, a massage is a delightful thing..take it from me! But a word of caution… There are probably lots of massage places offering good deals right now, however a good massage therapist isn’t easy to find. I recommend asking at a physical therapist’s office or at a sports chiropractic office for who they recommend (many have them on staff). I recently took advantage of a coupon deal that came in the mail for onw of the chain massage stores in town. Not only was it not a deep tissue sports massage that I really needed after my marathon, I now have a strange pain in my neck area that hasn’t gone away since I felt it happen on the massage table. Go to a sports massage therapist…it may be slightly more expensive but so worth the cost. Most sports massages cost about $50 for a half hour or $75-$85 for an hour.
7. A Kettle bell! Not really new to the fitness world, but recently popularized, kettle bells are not hard to use and one or two at home are good enough for a great home workout.
Walmart has a set of three Kettle bells for 49.99.
8. A one-hour physical therapist or personal training session. Depending on the exercise needs of whomever you are buying for, one hour with either kind of “PT” would make a great gift. Sometimes we just need a jumpstart, and working with a personal trainer for one hour can serve as a catalyst to get us into a healthy routine customized to our workout needs. On the other hand, if we are already into a routine, but have physical issues that we need to address, a physical therapist can help us start to get better so that we can start to set realistic goals for the new year. This is especially true if we have sports specific injuries or problems and want to try to work through them. Charlotte, NC Physical therapist Alan Tyson recommends asking the local hospitals who they work with for their physical therapy rehabilitation services. For personal trainers, most YMCA’s have them on staff for an additional fee.
9. Various fitness oriented gift certificates! These can be from places like Smoothie King, health food stores, running/workout clothing and gear stores, or even passes for yoga or Pure Barre classes in the area! We all know January is the month for new resolutions and many of them involve fitness, so these make perfect Christmas gifts!
Speak Your Mind