Were you aware that “almost 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese, and more than half don’t get enough physical activity?” (from Clemson Cooperative Extension, Healthy Holiday Gifts)

As a health and fitness professional and mother of two, I place great value on living a life full of physical activity and healthy eating! So why not join my mission of sharing and giving the gift of health to those who are special to you! Here are some ideas that I hope will jingle your gift-giving thoughts!

Food gift ideas

  • Fruit and Vegetable Basket – What a colorful, healthy idea! If you want to make this yourself, here are some ideas: green and red grapes, apples, oranges, kiwi, colorful peppers, broccoli and some sprigs of mint and parsley! And with the recommendations at 7-13 servings of fruits and veggies a day, this will surely be a great treat!
  • Healthy Snack Jar-I just love this idea and I have to give credit to Clemson Cooperative Extension again! The idea is to take a clear, covered container and fill it with packages of healthy snacks such as: little boxes of raisins, non-fat snack bars, trail mix, 100 calorie pack crackers, dried fruit or pretzels.  Don’t forget a cute bow and gift tag to make it extra special!
  • Sweet-Tasting Spices-This is especially great for those who are sugar sensitive yet still love the sweet tastes! Grab a festive container appropriate to fill with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, anise, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and mace.  Find a great recipe online that uses one or a few of these spices to get the healthy, creative thoughts rolling!
  • New Cooking Utensils/Tools– You may even find something that you would like to add to your healthy kitchen! Some ideas are: extra cutting boards (especially to have separate ones to avoid cross-contamination), extra set of measuring spoons, universal pan lid (This is new for me too!), pinch bowls (Super fun while cooking with the kids!).

Fitness-Related Gifts

  • Pedometer-I hope you have all heard that it is recommended to walk at least 10,000 steps a day! These great little gadgets are great to keep track for running, while shopping, chasing the kids, or even in the office! How many people do you know in the medical field, who say they don’t have time to exercise? Well, they may be surprised to find out just how many steps they are (or not) taking during a busy work day.  This is a great tool for them to begin gauging!
  • Stability or Balance Ball-This has to be one of my favorites! I have used mine (3 sizes to be exact!) from before, during and after pregnancy! I used to get some of my best workouts and baby time while sitting on one and bouncing with my baby! (Be cautious of baby’s age before going ahead with this fun activity).
  • MP3 Player-I know nature is beautiful, but for many a run or walk is much more energizing with some great tunes to pass the time! There are some great mixes that will bring your step more upbeat and then bring you back down to a proper cool down.  Oh! And now there are audio books too so this gift could spark interest in almost anyone on your fit-gift list!

Some other quick ideas

  • For kids: bikes, scooters, balls of all kinds, hula hoops, jump ropes, and yoga kits
  • For moms: bikes, running shoes (Especially great gift if the kids are getting bikes then mom can run with them!), sports gear, hula hoops (Yes! Even for you moms!), jump rope, polar watch

So remembering that everyone always has a resolution involving improvements with fitness and body physique, this is a great way to help them get started on a successful, Fabulously Fit New Year! On a side note, always keep in mind that this may not be the proper gift for everyone, so choose with care!

Happy, Healthy Holidays!!!

(A super special thank you to UNL Food: Food, Nutrition & Health.  This blog post was created with their great ideas at hand!! So check them out! There are many great ideas that I was not able to include.  In addition, the product links are only for ideas.  I personally do not endorse them nor use them).