Wellness gifts for Christmas
By Mitch Felipe
Philippine Daily Inquirer
INSTEAD of giving pastries to those with health and weight problems, buy something that helps them manage their lifestyle and encourages them to burn calories, improves endurance, strength and stamina.
Take these gift ideas:
Pedometer—The perfect gift for someone who lacks physical activity and who wants to lose weight. You can get this for less than P500 in sports stores and electronic shops.
A pedometer tracks the number of steps one takes, encouraging him or her to find ways to walk more. 10,000 accumulated steps daily can help burn 300 to 500 calories. So if one completes at least 35,000 steps a week, with proper food intake, he or she can still lose half a pound a week from walking alone.
Heart rate monitor—A basic unit that records calories burned and checks heart rate, this costs about P3,000-P8,000. It consists of a chest strap and a watch/receiver. Units with more advanced features like speed and distance cost from P10,000 to P30,000.
This makes a great gift to someone you want to motivate to do more physical activities, since it counts the number of calories burned while also showing if he or she is doing the right exercise intensity.
Exercise videos— For those who can’t find time to go to the gym, there are lots of videos in video stores, bookstores and TV shopping networks. Choose the latest home exercise videos so that they have up-to-date movements, compared to those released 10 years ago.
You can choose among dance workouts, yoga, Pilates, cardio boxing, sculpt-and-tone and belly dancing. Find out what your loved ones prefer.
Wellness books—Health and fitness books make great gifts for those who love to read and learn. Don’t get fad diet books that will teach your friend unhealthy eating practices, like eliminating carbohydrates from diet or following a very strict diet plan.
Choose books that answer a specific need. Give fitness books to those with complete fitness equipment at home but do not know how to do basic exercises correctly. They can go with an exercise mat and a pair of dumbbells. Buy cookbooks with healthy recipes for moms who love to prepare foods for the family.
Measuring cups and containers— If you want to help someone control his or her food intake, give a set of measuring cups and spoons. It helps him or her monitor the serving size of rice, cooking oil, jams and spreads for breads.
A set of small containers for packed lunch at work is also a great gift idea for someone who wants healthy “baon,” instead of buying fastfood stuff.
Water bottles or hydration packs—A hydration belt is an ideal gift for someone into brisk walking or running. It’s available in sport shops, in various sizes, costing about P1,000.
For those into indoor workouts, just buy a water bottle. This will always remind him or her about proper hydration during exercise. We need to drink before workout, and every 15 minutes during workout and after.
Weighing scale— We don’t need to wait for the annual physical exam to learn about our weight. Portable digital weighing scales go for as low as P500 to P1,000, in electronic shops, or home section of department stores.
Weekly weigh-ins help you track your weight-loss progress and can help you get back on track in case you gain unwanted pounds.
Lifestyle journal—Studies show that monitoring food intake is very effective in any weight management program. It makes you aware of what you really eat during the day, your eating patterns and triggers for overeating.
Any fancy handy notebook can turn into a lifestyle journal for someone who wants to be healthy and lose weight. Fancy notepads are available in bookstores and specialty paper shops, ranging from P300 to P1,000.
Apparel and sporting goods—We need to wear proper apparel during exercise. There are specific fabrics for a particular activity or sports like running and tennis, which absorb sweat and help you move comfortably.
Sports apparel can also be matched with sporting goods—a golf set for dads, badminton racquets for your best friend or a basketball for your brother.
Gym membership and wellness gift certificates—Give someone a one-month to one-year gym membership. Choose the most convenient gym location so he or she can maximize its use.
Instead of giving P1,000 gift certificate for a buffet, why not buy a wellness sampler gift pack that includes a couple of gym visits, a massage, fitness check and a session with a personal trainer to help someone get started on the road to wellness?
You can get this from health clubs and fitness studios of your choice.
Email the author at mitchfelipe@gmail.com
Tags: christmas, lifestyle & leisure
