Help prepare your loved ones to achieve their healthiest and fittest body by giving them the best gifts of wellness – for home fitness, outdoor and travel, lifestyle and weight management, and sleep and stress management. Now you can buy almost everything online at the comfort of your home so you can save time and ensure safety during your Christmas shopping.
Home fitness
Wireless workout headphones
Online fitness that has been the primary trend since the start of the pandemic will always stay. Give your loved ones a pair of Bluetooth earphones that can be used during an online Zoom fitness session with a trainer, while joining a group workout class or while listening to their favorite songs while working out.
Basic fitness props
You can conveniently order exercise equipment and gadgets from local sports and fitness online stores now. Send your friends and family a starter fitness kit consisting of the most basic exercise props for a home workout like a pair of light dumbbells, resistance bands, and an exercise mat.
Fitness tracker
A fitness tracker can always motivate someone to be consistent even in-home workouts because it can track a person’s heart rate, calories burned, and even monitor sleep. Give your dad a workout watch so he can safely execute his workout routine by monitoring the exercise intensity (heart rate).
Non-slip workout socks
Get someone who loves to do low-impact home workouts like barre, Pilates, lightweight resistance training, yoga, and core workouts a pair of rubber grip-bottomed socks from Decathon.
Activewear
Give someone comfortable and trendy workout clothes like bra top, crop top, cycling shorts, or workout pants to keep the exercise motivation high especially during a Zoom workout class. You have more options because there are more local brands now selling good quality clothes at a very reasonable price.
Online fitness sessions with a certified fitness coach
Book an online fitness coaching session from a credible and trusted coach who can help your family member or a friend jumpstart or restart a fitness journey for next year.
Outdoor and travel fitness
Running or hydration belt
Give your runner friend a lightweight running belt that can carry the phone, money, keys, and running gels. You can also choose hydration belts that can carry a 500ml water bottle, perfect for intense and long-run training.
Exercise mask
Get every person you know that’s exercising outdoors or visiting gyms and exercise studios an exercise mask. An exercise mask with a correct fit and material allows you to breathe safely and effectively even during an intense exercise session. You can get exercise mask from Under Armour, Adidas, and P29 mask from Toby’s Sports.
Travel yoga mat and spray
A standard yoga mat can weigh up to seven pounds. Give your friend who loves to travel, move and attend yoga retreats a lightweight (2 to 3 pounds) travel exercise/yoga mats that can fit even a backpack (for a foldable yoga mat, you can get it at Manduka or Gaiam). You can also give an anti-bacterial yoga spray to sanitize the mat after every use.
Travel Resistance band
A resistance band is a must for every fitness traveler who can always continue their strength and core fitness routines anytime and anywhere, while on quarantine, staycation, or beach trip. Choose a set of lightweight flat bands with various levels of resistance. I recommend the flat elastic bands from Decathlon.
Bluetooth portable speakers
Get your friend who loves to spend more time on the beach a Bluetooth speaker that is perfect for her online workouts. Connecting a laptop, tablet, or phone with a lightweight speaker with superb audio quality can motivate you to move more during a small group indoor or outdoor fitness workout while on a holiday vacation with your friends and family, following the lead of an energetic fitness coach via live Zoom class, on-demand (recorded) class or YouTube workout videos.
Lightweight water bottle
If you plan to give someone who is always on the go for adventure trips like hiking or long-distance running, choose lightweight vacuum-insulated water bottles that can keep drinks hot or cold for as long as 24 hours. You can also get a lightweight BPA-free large capacity (up to 750lm) collapsible water bottle that is usually made of silicone.
Lifestyle and weight management
Digital weighing scale
A weighing scale can be given as a gift for the whole family. Choose a digital scale with a body fat analyzer that measures body weight, body mass index (BMI- a measure if bodyweight is appropriate for your height), and estimated body fat percentage.
Fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy kitchen pantry foods
Instead of canned goods, biscuits, chocolates, jams, and sauces, give someone a basket of organic fresh fruits and vegetables or a basket of healthy pantry foods like chia seeds, nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts), nut butter, quinoa, oats, flaxseed, whole grain pasta, multi-grain bread, olive oil, honey, healthy flour (almond, coconut or whole wheat flour), energy bars, whole-grain crackers and/or baked vegetable chips.
Portion control tools
Give kitchen tools like a food scale, measuring cups, spoons, and containers to help the whole family apply portion control. You can get a set of measuring tools from the most popular online shopping websites. For more portion control tips, you can look back at my previous article here.
Kitchen appliances
You can give kitchen gadgets for healthy cooking like a food processor for nut butters, veggie rice (broccoli, carrot or cauliflower), blender or juicer for veggie and fruit juice or smoothie, air fryer for vegetable snacks like camote chips and crunchy viands, toaster oven for quick-cooking baked meals or healthy desserts and food steamer for meat, seafood, and veggies.
Sleep and stress management
Blue light glasses
Studies show that wearing blue light glasses can actually help improve the quality of sleep. Give this to someone who spends a lot of time watching television shows or surfing the internet at night.
Essential oil and diffuser
Give your loved one a complete set of essential oils with a diffuser to help relieve the stress, to release muscle aches and pains, and to get a good night’s sleep. Check various products online like Healthy Options, Young Living, and doTERRA.
Subscription to meditation apps
You can give someone a gift subscription to popular and effective stress management and meditation apps like Calm and Head Space.
Email the author at mitchfelipe@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @mitchfelipemendoza