Gift Guide for Fitness Enthusiasts
Yes, the Holiday season is upon us which means two very important things: a chance to slow down from the usual frantic pace of life to spend time with loved ones and close family AND the insanity of 2020 is almost behind us. This has definitely been one of the craziest, most hectic years in anyone’s lifetime, BUT the good news is that it’s almost over, after the holidays. If you’re like me, I LOVE giving gifts to the people who are important in my life, it’s a chance to show how much I care about them. However, while I love giving gifts, I find the process of picking out gifts somewhat intimidating which is why I’ve put together the 4th Annual All About Fitness Holiday Gift Guide for Fitness Enthusiasts to help you find that special something for the special someone in your life who loves to sweat.
To listen to the podcast version of this blog, hit the link below:
Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork
To help you find the perfect gift for that special someone I asked my friend and colleague Tricia Murphy Madden, who recorded the Gift Guide podcast with me, to come up with ideas that would be perfect for women while I offer suggestions for the men in your life. Whether it’s a colleague in the annual office gift exchange, a distant cousin whose name you were assigned in the family gift lottery or someone you snuggle with every night, hopefully the suggestions below will give you a few ideas and help you to identify the right item to give this Holiday season.
In the interest of full disclosure, some of the gifts suggested are from previous guests of the All About Fitness podcast – that’s only because I have been using the products and believe in their ability to help you to enhance your quality of life.
The following gifts are all mentioned in the podcasts, some are generic ideas while others are specific; coupon codes, where available, are noted below:
EightSleep pod
This smart mattress can measure your biometric data and automatically control temperature while you sleep to ensure you can achieve an optimal recovery from your workout while you’re sawing logs. Use code AAF150 to save $150 on a purchase. Yes, it might be expensive, but sleep is an important part of fitness and if you care about getting the best results from your workouts this might be the perfect gift to give yourself this year.
Under Armour Recovery sheets
If a new mattress is not in the holiday budget then how about a new set of sheets? These Recovery sheets have been specially designed to help the body regulate temperature during sleep which can ensure the ability to achieve REM sleep where the body is most efficient at doing what it needs to do in order to ensure optimal performance the next day.
https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/p/ua-recover/ua-recover-sheet-set—double/1325132.html
Viome testing
Your gut biome includes billions of microbes that influence how your body functions. The Viome testing kits allow you to learn more about your body so that you can identify the optimal nutrition for your needs. This is the perfect gift for a competitive athlete who is looking for the optimal nutrition solutions to support a vigorous exercise program. Use code AAF10 to save 10% on the purchase of any testing kit. Follow THIS LINK to listen to the interview with Dr. Sara Bird, a Stanford-educated microbiologist who explains the benefits of understanding the gut biome.
Throwdown Industries Stealth Training Gloves
Admittedly I’m not really a fan of wearing workout gloves, but I’m also not a fan of catching a nasty virus. Even the cleanest gyms have germs, these workout gloves have been specially designed to resist bacterial infections, they also make it possible to use the touch screen of your phone in case you need to change music or podcasts during a workout. The video below is my live product review, a great, low-cost option for the perfect holiday gift.
Starbucks Holiday cup
Every December the world’s largest retail coffee purveyor releases a limited number of special gift cups which allow the recipient to receive ONE free coffee or tea per day throughout the month of January. This is the PERFECT gift for a co-worker, neighbor or relative in a gift exchange, besides a great mug who doesn’t love a free hot drink a day during the coldest depths of January. Available at Starbucks locations nationwide. And yes, my kids have the easiest gift ever because this is all I ever want at Christmas (well this plus a few hugs).
Parking permit or annual pass for a park or recreation area
If you love spending time outdoors or know someone who always loves a new challenge, gift yourself or them a pass to state parks. Another option is to gift an annual parking pass to a park or recreation area; for example, here in California, there are a number of beaches where you can park for free, but as you could imagine there is always a lot of competition for the spots. However, the state beaches charge for parking so there tends to be more options for spots and while it is expensive to pay by the hour, buying a year pass is relatively affordable and includes a number of state parks in addition to the beach access. This is a great option for that friend or family member who does not need more stuff.
MasterClass Annual Pass
The All About Fitness podcast seems to be the ONLY podcast I listen to right now that is NOT running ads for MasterClass. Like the park pass above, this a PERFECT IDEA for that person who does NOT need more clutter around their place. A good friend gave me this for my birthday; I’ve been loving listening to the various classes and have gained some great insights and ideas for my writing in addition to learning some great strategies for the next time I sit down at a poker table.
HomeroomFit.com Membership
Homeroom Fit is a platform conceived by the IDEA Fitness Business Leader of the Year for 2020 Tricia Murphy Madden as a solution for people who love group fitness workouts but can’t access their various classes live due to current COVID restrictions. Homeroom Fit features some of the fitness industries most dynamic instructors leading workouts on formats from Barre to indoor cycling to yoga; for most classes all that is needed is a little bit of space and some hand weights and you can either give the gift of a few classes or an annual subscription.
Home workout gear for the Barre group fitness junkie
Tricia is one of the creators of the Barre Above instructor education program so she knows Barre programming from the inside-out and if you have someone in your life who LOVES that format but can’t always make it to the studio for a class, the kit below is the perfect gift to create an in-home workout experience (especially when combined with a Homeroom Fit subscription).
Bender Ball / mini-bands by Kira Stokes / Micro-bars by Bodybar / Booty Kicker – home Barre stand (weights not included) / Yoga mat
Smarter Workouts: The Science of Exercise Made Simple
Okay, a little shameless self-promotion here, BUT if you have that person who loves working out but just needs to know what to do – my book has you covered. I’ve been teaching personal trainers for more than 15 years, and in Smarter Workouts I teach you what you need to know to design your own workout programs for strength training, metabolic conditioning or mobility. Plus there are 21 workout programs in the book that can keep someone sweating all year long. The book teaches how to design workouts using dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine ball, stability ball or bodyweight. A great gift idea is to bundle equipment, like dumbbells, with the book.
Adult Size Hoodie Towel
Do you have someone in your life who seems to spend half of theirs in the water? A hoodie towel is an excellent solution; not only does it help them to dry off and stay warm, but it also allows for a quick change from wet suit to dry clothes in an easy-to-manage cover. The problem is that it’s so comfortable you may have to remember to take it off for your next virtual meeting while working from home. Tricia offered this idea on the podcast, I like it so much, it’s on my list for this year.
Re-chargeable electric socks
Okay, I live in North County San Diego and cold for me is when the temp drops below 40. For those of you in truly cold climates, rechargeable electric socks may make the perfect gift for a loved one always complaining about cold feet or for a colleague in a gift exchange.
Rechargeable electric socks (as found on Amazon)
Fit Radio subscription
According to Tricia, an industry-leading expert in group fitness programming, a subscription to Fit Radio provides tunes for any type of workout from yoga and meditation to high intensity interval training (HIIT) this is a gift that will keep the recipient moving all year round.
Myaderm topical CBD lotion
Do you know a fitness junkie who is constantly dealing with minor aches and pains? The CEO of Myaderm was a guest on the podcast this year and provided a few samples. I’ve been using it for my knee with great results. Apply the lotion and it will provide relief while out enjoying favorite activities; can be found at Dick’s Sporting Goods nationwide.
Multi-purpose tool or headlamp
I LOVE these things, in my opinion they are always a great gift. I have collected a number of multi-tools which include: 2 in drawers at home, 1 in the car and 1 in the bag under the seat on my mountain bike. Likewise, I am a big fan of the headlamp, it allows you to keep your hand free while lighting up an area that might be hard to see. Like the multi-tool, I have a number of head lamps stashed around which include 1 that I take when I travel, 1 for walking the dog and 1 in the glove compartment of the car. If you need to buy something for a male colleague, cousin or that curmudgeon of an uncle, you can never go wrong with one of these.
Hopefully these provide some ideas for what to get the fitness fanatics in your life. No matter what you’re celebrating in 2020, please enjoy the season with your loved ones and pretty-please, with sugar-on-top, follow the health guidelines so we can do our best to have a healthy and relatively normal 2021.
Love this! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for taking the time to read it, hopefully it gave you a few ideas!
This is a great post! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for reading!