Still scratching your head wondering what in the world to get for gifts for your loved ones this year? Here are my thoughts on the best portable Fitness Gifts to give or to get this season.
The following are the most versatile and timeless peices of fitness equipment that will help anyone at any level get a great workout.
Resistance Bands
always make my list as one of the top items to have in anyones fitness collection. You can find them in varied resistances from light to heavy which makes it easy to customise your workouts. Resistance bands are small and portable, so whether you want to get in a workout on your break at work or are going away, without a lot of suitcase room to spare these will fit....right next to your jump rope. My clients are always surprised at what a remarkable workout they can get simply using these bands. Some start out with a snark and once our workout is over are completely astounded.
TRX
has been around for a while now, but this body weight system has not been replaced. Like the resistance bands it is travel friendly and can be used over your door, outside under a tree or at the playground slung over a swing set. You use your body weight as resistance with a little extra core stability kick while engaging with the TRX. There are a gazillion exercises you can do and makes for a great peice of equipment to give as a gift. It's a peice that you will never hear someone say, well where am I going to keep this thing. It will never be a clothing rack. My clients love TRX workouts, especially if they haven't been in the groove for a week or so. The workouts prime the muscles for custom intensities with just an inching of the feet to adjust the incline.
A Heart Rate Monitor
is always recommended. Viewing your heartrate in real time will keep you motivated to the max. Since your workout intensity is up to you and not your trainer using a heart rate monitor will make your workouts consistently worth it. I use MYZONE which is available at our LIFESTART facility in Boston, however if you like the idea it's worth checking out other like Fitbit surge or LLBean Tom Tom Runner. A quick google search will bring up plenty of options.
NUBELLS
are something new that I haven't had the opportunity to work with as of yet, but they look pretty versatile. Have a look at the video on their home page. These look like a fantastic option for a home gym!