Best Holiday Gifts For Fitness Buffs

Every year, my husband struggles to find the perfect gifts for me. He wants something meaningful, fun and of actual interest for me. Being a fitness nerd, I always suggest fitness and wellness gear to make the upcoming year better, healthier and happier. Any time he takes that advice, he “wins” at the gift exchange and has a happy wife.

Of course, finding the best gear isn’t always easy, especially if you don’t have much time to see what’s new or if you don’t personally know what to look for. So, whether you’re making a list for family members or looking for the best gifts around, these are the best items to gift fitness buffs this Christmas.

The best philosophy in fitness is this: natural, realistic movements make for the best workouts. Specifically, experts have often talked about chopping wood, walking, bending and stretching as you’d do in farm work and similar as being the best.

Well, it seems like Chopfit has taken that to heart and created the Chopper, this wood chopping simulation fitness tool for those of us who just don’t have wood to chop. This is going up as number one on my own wish list for the season! Be sure to sign up for the app to track and maintain that wood-chopping physique.

I love my TRX home gym set. You can use it pretty much anywhere, adjust it to suit your height and strength needs and take it with you when you go on vacation. Personally, that’s a huge deal for me because I can’t always find a gym I feel comfortable working out in while away. That’s especially true if you’re not using Gym Pass.

The equipment for the TRX home gym is made for slinging over doors that can close solidly. Use your own planned workouts or check out their recorded workout videos on their website or YouTube.

If you’re also an organization nut like me, then the Walniture Guru Wall Mount is the perfect budget-friendly gift to request. It’s designed to help you neatly tuck away your gear while keeping it accessible. It’s meant for yoga mats, rollers, jump ropes and resistance bands, plus any other cords or smaller gauge ropes or bands you might have lying around.

Since most of us don’t have a ton of space, the adjustable dumbbell has become a thing. Not all are equal, of course, but the Flybird set has some pretty rave reviews, tucks away neatly and goes up to 55 pounds – for significantly less than the famed Nordictrack set.

Working out isn’t the only part of the fitness game. It’s also critical to do recovery well. That’s where the Cryotex deep tissue massage gun comes in. I hate the title for the piece, but it does the trick. It’s a handheld percussion massager that works for neck, back, shoulders or anywhere else that you can use on yourself or have a friend help with. After a tough workout – or running that marathon – it’s a real lifesaver.

This is one of my favorite gifts to get every year: virtual race entries. They make for the perfect runner’s gift since they aren’t tied to a specific calendar date (mostly) and can be trained for and run whenever you’re ready. There are tons of them out there, too, so feel free to ask family members to go in on a series or request one race as a stocking stuffer.

Some of my favorite sites for finding them include

• Virtual Pace Series
• Moon Joggers
• DC Wonder Woman Virtual Run
• The Conqueror
• Run the Edge

If pushups are your thing, these Bear Blocks are the perfect little gift to help keep your wrists safe and protected as you work out. They’re also great for burpees and yoga, too. I haven’t used them myself, but the concept is solid and the design looks a lot sturdier and more convenient than traditional pushup bars.

Finally, I’d recommend this post-workout skincare kit from Sweaty Betty. The creams, oils, conditioners and other components can all help your skin not only come clean after a workout but stay moisturized and healthy all week long.