If you’re stumped on what to get your friends or family for the holidays, then why not get them a fitness gift. Heck, you could even put some fitness gifts on your own holiday wish list. After all, who doesn’t want to look or perform better? Here is official my top 10 list of the best last minute fitness gifts for 2008:
1.) A Foam Roll
If you’re like most people, you spend a lot of your day nailed down to a desk. And when you actually do have time to workout, all you usually can fit in is the workout itself. Really, who has time for daily stretching?
Well that’s where a foam roller comes in. It’s a phenomenal corrective self-massage tool that will dramatically increase injury prevention and improve performance. It’s ideal to use for at least five minutes post-workout to promote healing of the micro-tears in your muscles that result from high-intensity training to jumpstart the recovery process. Plus, a foam roller both kneads out and lengthens your muscle and connective tissues thus alleviating, if not eliminating, nagging aches and pains in your back, knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows.
If you’re going to get a foam roller, get a good one. The cheaper options tend to wear down into a limp noodle for larger individuals after a couple of months. We now carry a new version that has very dense foam and does not break down at all. I have used it every day for the last several weeks and I swear it still feels as firm as the day I got it! You can get it here.
2.) Iron Woody’s Bands
Resistance bands are by far the most simple, convenient, and affordable equipment option in the fitness industry. They supply complete portability for solid workouts that can be done anywhere. If you are a busy professional who does a lot of traveling, bands are the perfect training tool to take your workouts with you on the road as they can fit in any carry-on bag without a problem. If you are a busy Mom looking to workout in the comfort of your own home, bands can make this happen too. Bands provide the perfect compliment to your body weight circuit training workouts for added variety, allow for multiple levels of resistance with practically zero set-up time, are easy on the joints, and are a easy to use!
Paul’s friend Darren Mallette travels constantly for work and he never leaves for a trip without a couple sets of bands. He’s told us that this way, even if he can’t find a decent gym, he doesn’t have to miss his training completely.
3.) A Gift Card for a Gym Membership
You can’t beat a gym membership gift certificate. It’s easy to wrap, comes in 4 convenient term lengths to suit the needs of anyone on your list and you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped someone get started or continue with their training in the new year.
4.) A Gift Card to the Grocery Store
Rather then waste money on an overpriced restaurant; why not give a week’s worth of groceries. After all, everybody’s got to eat, but how many of us actually eat the right stuff to support our fitness goals?
I must admit, I’ve gotten grocery gift cards in the past and they always rate high on my list of best gifts.
5.) A Gift Card to a Massage Therapist
Most of us are crazy busy and super stressed out during the holiday season and nothing eases the tension like a good massage. This is about as can’t miss of a gift as it gets, unless you know someone who doesn’t like to be touched. It’s nice to be pampered on occasion, and though the foam roller I mentioned above can do wonders for the majority of your body, nothing can alleviate tension in your upper back, neck, and head like a good massage therapist!
When I’m in Arnprior and need some work on my muscles I enlist the services of Sarah Bogar RMT (613-623-2092 and sarahbogar.rmt@gmail.com) and in Renfrew I always get my treatments from the ladies at Alternative Health Care Clinic. (432-0097)
6.) Supplements that Work: Protein Powders, Fish Oil, Multi-Vitamin
I have helped hundreds of people lose thousands of pounds of fat. In my journey, I have found only three supplements to be a mandatory part of the optimal fat loss program: protein powders, fish oil, and multi-vitamin supplements.
Protein powders provide great post training nutrition and a convenient meat alternative for on-the-go meals. For a protein powder, look for a brand low in sugar and carbohydrates and with a mix of both concentrates and isolates (fast and slow absorbing proteins). I like Neo-Genixx Whey Fusion. It’s available in Chocolate, Vanilla or Banana. (I can’t pick, I love ‘em all)
Fish oil, or more appropriately entitled an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement, is critical to providing key omega 3’s to maximize overall health, performance, and body composition. Studies show that krill oil provides the most effective dosing of EFA’s.
A multi-vitamin provides keys vitamins and minerals that are tough to obtain unless your diet is near picture perfect. I don’t know about you, but I like to cover my bases when it comes to my health. Be sure to choose a multi-vitamin supplement that is made from whole foods rather than synthetic materials.
In our house (and gyms) we rock the PVL Multi-Maxx vitamins. They are a top quality at an affordable price.
7.) Sport-Specific Gift
This gift is pretty simple: if you want to give a great gift to an athlete then get them something unique that compliments their sport, whether it be fitness equipment, apparel, or both.
8.) Fitness Book or Subscription to Fitness Magazine
Everybody can use a bedtime or bathroom reading source! If you have just read a good fitness book that you know a friend or family member would benefit from, hook them up with their own copy. Better yet, people love magazine subscriptions. Personally, I am a big fan of Men’s Health and Women’s Health. These magazines are filled with tons of workout, nutrition, and lifestyle tips catered to each sex and I try to never miss an issue. I know it sounds funny that I read men’s Health being a woman, but I work with a lot of guys so I need to keep up with the stuff they are reading too.
9.) Wireless MP3 Headset
This one’s a bit pricey, but man is it worth the unparalleled listening pleasure and convenience. It’s this simple: drag and drop your workout MP3’s onto the headset using a USB cable and then press play and rock out while you train your butt off. There are no annoying wires to deal with and the headphones are comfortably, yet firmly locked on your head so they never fall off and you never miss a beat.
10.) A Gift Card to a Fitness Boot Camp
Boot camps provide a fun and exciting team environment that guarantee better results than one-on-one personal training for only a third of the cost… it’s a total no-brainer.
Any good boot camp worth its weight offers free trials and money-back guarantees to all newcomers because they are so confident their program works that you’ll more than likely continue after a test-drive, This way there is typically no risk on your part… besides getting you butt kicked, in a good way ;)
So join a fitness Boot Camp with at least one other friend or family member or buy a boot camp gift card to give to your loved ones. As a boot camp instructor myself, I know firsthand that clients always get better results when they embark on a fitness journey with others.
And if you live in the Renfrew or Arnprior area, come work with us for the best boot camp training in the Ottawa Valley by visiting www.ultimatefitnessgyms.com/bootcamps We’ll change your life and have you looking better naked this New Year, guaranteed!
Train hard for the holidays and have a very safe and happy New Year!
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