THE HOLIDAY SEASON is well upon us, and if you are anything like me, you are most likely already searching for gifts for friends and family.
So I’ve put together this short list of what I consider to be top gifts for the fitness fanatic in your life, hopefully it can help inspire some of you.
Mobility kit
This is a nice, reasonably-priced idea. The pack includes a decent foam roller, travel massage stick, mini resistance band and a trigger-point lacrosse ball.
This all-in-one pack from D8 Fitness in Dublin is the ideal gift for the fitness fanatic who wants to treat their body the right way.
It’s perfect for mobility drills, core work (using the band) and it fits easily into the gym bag.
Valslides
These are a perfect little gift that can slip right into the Christmas stocking.
They are a great portable fitness tool that can be thrown into a travel bag. You perform exercises with these gliding pads under your palms, knees, or feet, and you can work an area from every angle.
Common exercises with valslides include a basic lunge, mountain climbers, seal drags and push-ups with a knee tuck.
Along with that there are other cool portable pieces of gym equipment like a TRX, set of gym rings or even a set of resistance bands that work as good gift ideas.
Bodyfirst nutrition protein bar selection box
For the man or woman who wants to maintain their fitness this Christmas, this is the perfect stocking filler.
Ditch the sugar-heavy traditional Christmas selection boxes and make the healthy switch to seven good quality bars which will help keep protein levels on track.
Bodyfirst also stock a nice range of gym meal bags which are perfect for someone who likes to stay on top of their food prep while on the go. All of their items can be found here.
Wyldsson healthy Christmas bundle
I mentioned this healthy snack company in a previous article and the products they produce are excellent and extremely tasty.
Their selection of Christmas bundles is a gift that will delight and will come into its own at the start of 2017 as the health kick gets into full swing.
It’s a great package that includes products such as their famous promix snack tubes, delicious nut butter spread and your very own name-customised promix tubes.
GPS training watch
These are a must-have for anyone who is interested in logging and keeping track of their data.
A good GPS watch will measure heart-rate, speed, distance, calorie burn and a whole lot more.
My personal favourite is the Garmin Forerunner 235.
The Five Minute Journal
“The simplest thing you can do to start your day happy.”
Writing in the Five Minute Journal has become one of my favorite daily rituals and has definitely impacted my life in a positive way.
A journal like this keeps you on track, forces positive habits and helps you log daily, weekly, and long-term goals.
I have mentioned in a previous article that working on your mindset is just as important as your physical fitness.
Sports headphones
This is another item for the sporty individual who likes to listen to music while keeping active.
The best and most comfortable headphones I’ve used are the Sennheiser sports range.
They offer moisture resistance, different wearing styles, strength, reliability, and a powerful dynamic sound that never fails to motivate.
NutriBullet
This is my main piece of kitchen equipment and I use it for pretty much everything that needs whipping, whisking or blending.
A must-have item last year and something that is popular again this festive season.
It’s ideal for those with busy lifestyles; perfect for making early-morning breakfast pancake mixes or smoothies for post-gym shakes.
It’s a very convenient piece of kit that is user friendly, easy to clean and doesn’t take up much kitchen space.
Subscriptions
These are handy Christmas presents that can be bought with a click of a button.
There are quite a few subscriptions out there now for the fitness fanatics. I find all of the four below to be very useful:
- Spotify — for listening to music while working out
- Headspace — for some daily meditation
- ROMWOD — to improve mobility and flexibility
- Audible — to listen to inspiring audio books
Training gear
It’s hard to go wrong when buying some fresh training gear for a loved one or friend.
A fresh gym attire can set them right up leading into the new year for attacking those fresh goals.
For the ladies, take a look at some compression or yoga pants — a very popular brand right now is lululemon.
For the lads, in my opinion, anything from the Under Armour range is a winner. They have a great selection of winter compression wear which is great in all environments, lasts long and washes really well.
David Last is a personal trainer based in Dublin. For more information you can follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Or you can send him a direct message here.
You can also see some of his previous articles here.
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