A Healthful Holiday Gift Guide
3 Gifts Every Exerciser Needs for a Healthy New Year
The holidays are here, and there are so many fun and healthy gifts to give and receive. If you have an exerciser in your life who is looking to elevate their routine, or you are the one running the miles and hitting the weights at the gym, here are 3 gifts that every mover needs in their day to day. Hit those New Year’s resolutions with motivation, strength, and joy!
A vibrating foam roller. As far as I’m concerned, everyone needs to be foam rolling, especially those people with a regular exercise routine. Foam rollers are probably the best use of styrofoam this century has seen, and most people have one collecting dust under their bed because of an old PT rehab program that went astray. Enter the vibrating foam roller. Not only does it do the job of foam rolling your neglected gluteals, it does it in a record time, AND it's less “painful” (quotes because pain is subjective, and for some of us, “it hurts so good”!). Vibration actually tricks your brain and puts your sensory awareness on the movement of the roller rather than how uncomfortably tight your piriformis is, all the while addressing the problem of layers of soft-tissue being adhered to each other from too much sitting. I’m just saying, I start most of my mornings with a hot cup of coffee and my vibrating foam roller, and I think this habit pairing has changed my motivation to move and my general outlook on life.
A weighted vest. I will happily join the hype bandwagon on using this wellness accessory to health hack your daily habits. I’m all for wearing your weighted vest on walks, doing LIGHT cardio (no running, jumping, or major impact) AND in addition to holding weights during strength training. For those of us who are limited by small wrists and hands, and who struggle to hold heavy enough weights during strength work, this is a great way around that problem. Wear your vest AND hold your weights (we still need grip strength!) and you’ve just increased the external load to your torso. A word of caution – this accessory requires a heightened awareness to pristine posture. If you keep your shoulders pulled back and over your hips (no hunching), and use your abdominals to hold your pelvis out of a lordotic arch (decompress the low back), the weight of your vest will be loading and conditioning the spinal extensors and postural muscles. Make sure to select a vest that has adjustable weight. Start with a lower weight (15ish pounds) and gradually increase the load over 4-8 weeks.
Wireless headphones. I was really late to this party. For the longest time I was the tech-challenged person in the gym who would plug their headphones in, and then awkwardly work around them as I lifted or ellipticized. And then I got the BOSE inner ear headphones (no sponsorship, I just think they make a good product) and they changed my life and my motivation to move. Whether it’s a recovery ride with a funny podcast, or hill repeats serenaded by Beyonce, my headphones changed the joy and motivation I find in exercise. I could walk or bench press for days if I have something good to listen to, and research shows that music undeniably changes our psychological tolerance and capacity for exercise.
Health and the Holidays can go hand and hand, and what better way to boost motivation for New Year’s resolutions than having some new gadgets to move with. If you’re hunting for gifts that make it easier for your loved ones to stick to healthy routines, or you are hoping to inject joy into your own exercise regimen, this is the list to shop with.
Hi, I’m Lexy — a personal trainer for women 40+
I help you feel strong, capable, and at home in your changing body through functional strength, mobility work, and breath-led movement that evolves with you through every stage of menopause and midlife.
