Top Fitness Gift Ideas

Do you have a fitness person on your Christmas list? Below are a number of ideas that they will like to see under the tree on Christmas Day and be sure to put to use right away.

The lists are grouped based on gear, nutrition, education and technology.

Fitness Gift Idea #1 - Gear The most obvious place to start would be a gift certificate to whichever place carries the favourite brand of apparel or shoes. And don't get me wrong I'd never say no to a g/c for some new kicks or a training shirt but it kinds of lacks originality.

Instead what about putting together a fitness travel pack for someone? This could be either for the travel itself or for training on the other end.

For a travel pack think of things such as a shaker cup, a greens supplement, a neck pillow, a small collection of travel toiletries, some gum and a magazine or book on active things to do where the traveller will end up.

As for ideas of what to get for fitness on the road think of things that are light-weight and pack easily. Bands, tubing, a jump rope, a Travel Roller, a lacrosse ball or a suspension trainer will all work.

When you travel and need a gym you will seek one out and have access to everything else in terms of weights, dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells. However when no gym is available this is when the gear listed above can quickly provide an effective training session.

Fitness Gift Idea #2 - Nutrition We all know how important nutrition is to achieving great results in the gym. And so a gift of nutrition would be an awesome way of telling someone how important they are to you at Christmas.

With the previous gift we suggested a greens supplement to throw in your travel bag. But even when you're not on the road how about a BCAA (branch chain amino acid) supplement? I prefer mine to be flavourless so I can mix with more drink options and it costs less. Whichever flavour and brand you choose look for ones with 2 grams of leucine per serving.

Another great supplement to pick up for someone would be krill oil which is a form of omega-3. Many of us don't eat enough fish and this is a great way to stay topped up with this essential fatty acid.

If supplements aren't your thing what about ordering someone a meal service? You order your meals for the week from an online menu and then pick them up all at once to store in either the freezer or fridge. Convenience and health, who wouldn't love that?

Lastly, what about ordering a pig or half a cow for someone? Nothing quite like having grass-fed beef for all your meals. Not only are you eating more healthily but you are also saving time shopping for groceries and you know exactly what you have available for meals. Having just shared a half a cow with a friend, I'll tell this isn't cheap and would be for very special friends or family. Thank you in advance.

Fitness Gift Idea #3 - Education Fitness is moving in a direction where people are able to source at lot of information themselves. You can find meal plans, training programs, certification courses and everything in between online.

I would look at this type of gift in two ways. The first group would be for fitness professionals that are in the industry to stay and have made this their career of choice. For these types there may be more value to courses or registrations for live events that they would like to attend.

The second group would be for the fitness nut who does something else for a living. They may not complete a nutritional course to become certified as this isn't really there main occupation. But they may enjoy a book on a particular topic or a subscription to a fitness magazine.

A few of the programs and companies I would recommend include: Perform Better, Precision Nutrition, FMS, and StrongFirst among others.

Fitness Gift Idea #4 - Technology What about a gift that helps track your training? This could be a heart rate monitor, or a Bioforce HRV or a jawbone wristband. They don't have to cost much (under $100) but make training more focussed and measurable.

If you don't think gadgets are the way to go what about investing in an online training program? There are a number of great ones out there with specific areas to address such as powerlifting, sprinting, mobility or Olympic lifting. People who put out great products include Eric Cressey, Wil Fleming, Dr. Emily Splichal, Mike Robertson and many more. Shoot me a reply if you're considering one and want an opinion.

The last thing to consider as fitness tech gift would have to do with music. Either a new device to listen to your tunes, some new ear buds or maybe credits to download new songs. There are lots of options.

Whichever way you go with your Christmas shopping think of the four categories above if fitness is on your list.

Chris [fb-like]