Give the Gift of Better Fitness: Healthy Holiday Gifts for Every Budget

Looking for the perfect Christmas present for the fitness lover (or would-be fitness lover) on your list? We've got you covered! 

Whether you're shopping for fitness enthusiast or for someone who's new to exercise, Better Living Fitness' personal trainers have some great recommendations for you:

Better living for your back: foam rollers. Better Living Fitness Founder Mark Thiesmeyer says that foam rollers make great Christmas presents because they're such a versatile fitness tool: you can use them to relieve stress, relax tight muscles, and work on your posture at the same time.

Another great thing about giving a foam roller is that you can find one to fit just about any budget. Just check this page on Amazon to see rollers that start at just $8.

Pulling, pushing, and lifting: Therabands or dumbbell sets. Trainer Jesse Richards says, “you can do a ton of exercises with Therabands, and a small set of dumbbells are both inexpensive and a great way to get someone started with strength training.”

We found Therabands for under $11 here, and a full set of starter dumbbells for just $24.99 here.

Rockin' and Rollin' with your workout: Wireless headphones. Trainer  Allison Maupin's husband has been complaining that the wires to his headphones are getting in the way when he's working out. Don't tell Allison's husband, but  she's gotten him a solution: wireless headphones are under the Maupin's Christmas tree this year! Allison chose Beats by Dr. Dre, but there are lots of options available. Here's an Amazon link with several options, all under $200.

Keeping Track: Garmin GPS Watch vs. Fitbit Blaze. Monitoring everything from how many steps we take to how long we sleep has been a fitness trend for awhile now, and there are a lot of options to choose from depending on the goals of the person you're shopping for.

Here at Better Living, two of our trainers in particular – Mallory Ghrist and Joey Smith – have different opinions about which workout monitor works best. Joey likes the Garmin GPS Watch, while Mallory Ghrist says she's “pretty obsessed” with her Fitbit Blaze.   

“My Fitbit Blaze tracks my steps, calories burned, miles traveled, and helps you stay active by reminding you to take at least 250 steps an hour,” Mallory says.

Joey, on the other hand, likes the GPS feature on the Garmin, and says that the Garmin tracks everything from your mileage and stride to how many steps you take per minute.

You can learn more about the Fitbit Blaze here – when we checked, Amazon had them for just a hair under $200, and there's more information about the options Garmin has available (from just under $40 to over $200, depending on the feature you choose) here.

Giving the Gift of Better Living Fitness: Love working out with your Better Living Fitness trainer or at your favorite Better Living Fitness Center class? Share the love with our discounted gift cards, now through December! You can spend as little as $50.00 to give a full month of Full Body Fit classes, or just $99 to give someone special a full month of unlimited classes at Better Living Fitness Center.

Just click here to see all your options.