Fitness Gift Ideas for the Holidays

It’s that time of year again and I’m happy to say that this year I believe that I have been especially good. With the exception of perhaps an unkind word to a rude driver that just had it coming, I’ve been nice much more often than I’ve been naughty.

I didn’t tell my husband that he was boring me stiff with his twenty-thousandth telling of childhood stories, nor did I say “no” to playing Monopoly with my kids (even though my 5-year-old tries to sneak extra moves or my 9-year-old fails to pay up when he lands on my property).

I’ve kept my word when given, played fair with others, and I’ve eaten four to five fruit and vegetable servings per day. So, can I please, please, please have a Nike MP3 Run for Christmas?

There are a few fitness gift ideas that would make any exerciser’s Christmas, and the Nike’s MP3 Run (www.nike.com) tops the list of anyone who enjoys walking or jogging.

It plays all your favorite music in a neat tidy mp3 format and beyond all the wonders and convenience of mp3 play; it comes equipped with a chronograph and speed sensor. So all you have to do is press a little button and an audio response (Can you believe it, audio?!) tells you how far you’ve come, at what pace, and at what time.

But Santa, I want to give you options. So, just in case you and the elves can’t swing the MP3 Run, the Nike Triax CV10 also would be very much appreciated. Its combination heart rate and speed/distance monitor would make any walker or jogger grin with Christmas morning glee.

The Triax, with its ability to track your target heart rate, helps motivate you to keep moving at the right intensity. And if you should drop below your recommended heart rate it gives you an “out-of-zone” beep alert so you’ll know to pick up your pace. How cool is that?

And Santa, just so you don’t think I’ve got Nike on the brain, I have lots of other fitness gift options that would properly reward a year of being nice, including a set or two of hand-held weights.

They’ll come in mighty handy on those days when the gym seems a million miles away, but the alternative – missing a resistance workout – is a definite no-no. And since I don’t like sweating alone, could you throw in an exercise video to go with those weights?

A copy of Bill Pearl’s “Keys To Weight Training” or “In Shape” with Rachel McLish” would be a perfect accompaniment. Both are available from Collage Video at (800) 433-6769, or your little helpers can shop online at www.CollageVideo.com.

I also like “The Ultimate Workout Log,” by Suzanne Schlosberg. It’s the perfect workout book for tracking routine variations, logging fitness progress, and staying motivated.

And it’s an easy find at just about any major book store and it will serve as an excellent way any exerciser to look back at where they’ve been and feel confident about reaching the fitness goals that lie ahead.

Finally Santa, the gifts that can round out any fitness-minded Christmas wish list – towels, workout clothes, or athletic shoes – are things you can never have too many of.

Thanks for reading my letter. I think you’d agree that these are great gift ideas because they’re gifts that will keep giving and encourage health and wellness for another year to come. Just remember, MP3 Run, MP3 Run, MP3 Run!

(Certified personal trainer and fitness instructor Eugenie Jones writes for The Sun in Bremerton, Wash. Reach her by e-mail at eugeniek(at)attbi.com or online at www.ejonesfitness.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)

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