So thanks to Pandora’s post, 12 Presents for the Fitness Focused Female ] now you know what to get the woman in your life, now it’s your turn.
Feel free to print this post and drop it in her purse, lunchbox or stick it to the refrigerator with your favorite magnet.
You always treat her to the finer things in life (right?), now it’s your turn to be spoiled. So there’s 10 items on my list – two of the ones that I’s add to mine are on Pandora’s list, so I’ll refer you to hers for the Gymboss and RawThreads bamboo shirts.
The Moov Now Band – this is an amazing piece of new technology that will bring your training game to a new level. The Moov Now band is a wearable tracker that syncs with a smart phone app, and it tracks your progress with the disk in the band. Running? It will use GPS and your arm motion to tell you how fast you’re going, how your form is, and how far behind the goal you are. Swimming? It’s waterproof, so you set the app for a swim, and after your swim is complete, it will analyze your strokes and give you feedback and adjustments to make next time. Biking? Wear it on our ankle (it comes with a larger band to wear on your ankle) and the app will tell you when to switch gears, how fast you’re going, and how far to your goal. My favorite part is that it can monitor your workout when you do body-weight exercises. It will give you workouts consisting of such exercises as jumping jacks, planks, crunches, push-ups and lunges, and it tells you how many to do in the allotted time, and monitors your progress. As an additional bonus, it monitors your sleep, so you can track how much rest you’re getting each night.
SPIbelt – this is one piece of my workout gear that I never am without. http://www.spibelt.com/ My favorite part of this is it MADE IN THE USA, which is a big selling point for me. The SPIbelt (small personal item belt) is an expandable pocket that I use to hold my items around my waist. I can easily hold my iPhone 5s in it (they do make then in larger sizes to fit the iPhone 6+ as well) but typically I place my wallet and keys in it because my phone is on my arm to access my apps and music easier. The stretchy fabric keeps the items in it snug, so I don’t hear my keys jingling around in it. SPIbelt also makes hydration attachments for these belts, so you can wear it and keep your liquids handy as well. Not only are these great for running and biking, but they are also a great, low-profile alternative to a fanny pack if you are on vacation and don’t want to have bulky pockets.
SqueakyCheeks. Ok, so you typically wouldn’t want a bottle of powder as a gift, but as soon as you use this, you’ll thank me. I’ve been a religious user of this all-natural powder for over a year. As a guy, you should already be aware of the benefits of a good body powder. This one is better than the one you’re using. First up, it’s all natural and is talc-free. It can be used on your typical body parts to keep you dry and odor free, but as a bonus – it can be used as a lubricating powder as well. I keep my feet blister-free with it on every run and hike I do. It prevents blisters and keeps my feet dry. It doesn’t cake up, doesn’t get mushy, and lasts all day. Want an incentive to buy it? Use coupon code BOSTON10 at checkout for 10{6e74c841b8f362d8aea590534016dc569fd3035eeb9e530df8846b42682c6656} off your order.
Sometimes the most basic items are the best. My new favorite piece of outerwear for running is a Fruit Of The Loom fleece pullover I got at Walmart. I know it’s not moisture-wicking or made of some space-age performance material, but it’s comfortable as hell, keeps me warm, and has a media pocket. Hidden in the center pocket is a smaller pocket that fits a smart phone or music player. It’s a deep pocket, so I never fear my gear falling out, and it has a reinforced button-hole for the headphones to go into so you can run them to your ears under the garment, keeping them out-of-the-way while you run. For less than $10, you can’t go wrong with this as an outer layer while working out, or while sitting at home watching the game on a Sunday.
So I’m a geek that likes to run. What’s better than Star Wars fitness gear? The first I’ve seen is the new Imperial Collection by Under Armour. UA has become famous for their performance fabrics and comfort, and the Force is strong with this collection. Whether you want to pretend you’re a Stormtrooper or Darth Vader in your new compression shirt, or just want to show off your love of the Dark Side, you can’t go wrong with this. Bonus relationship advice: they have a ladies collection too, and if the women in your life doesn’t want one, that’s a sign that you’re with the wrong woman. Also, Kohl’s has released an entire line of Star Wars themed clothing that ranges from great outerwear pieces to running gear. My favorite piece is the new Force Awakens Kylo Ren jogger pants (I’m a XXL if you feel generous).
So you like to run, but you also like to work out those muscles with some cross training as well. Not every running shoe is great for training, and not every cross-training shoe is good for running, What to do? Brooks to the rescue. I wear Brooks’ Ravenna 6 shoes. I have had great luck with these in both the gym and on the track. The heel has a wide support base, which is great for side-to-side motion, but the cushion in these is springy and the energy return is wonderful. If you want the latest version of this shoe (the Ravenna 6 is an older model) the Ravenna 7 is out now.
I have a gigantic collection of caps. I’m not exaggerating either – I have hundreds of caps. But, when it comes to my favorite to run in, I love Headsweats performance hats. First up, they are extremely comfortable. I have a larger head, and these fit me very well. The fit is snug to the dome of your head, as it should be, but it’s not an uncomfortable feeling at all. Most times, I feel like I’m not wearing a hat at all because these caps are light and airy, and do an excellent job of wicking moisture away from my head. If you want a customized one (I have had several made for Defying Obesity) you can get them made at Family Fan Club.
As a person that has undergone gastric bypass surgery, it is important to me to have a way to identify my medical issues to emergency crews should anything happen to me. There are many options out there on ways to do this, from dog tags to medical bracelets, but the one I chose and recommend is the MYID bracelet by Endevr. This is a silicone bracelet, much like the ones people wear to support different charities. It comes in many different colors, is comfortable to wear, and offers a lot more information to emergency personnel than any dog tag or metal bracelet can. When you receive the bracelet, it has a QR code, an ID number, and a PIN number. You go online and set up an account with all your necessary information – medical history, instructions for emergency crews, names of emergency contacts, and your insurance and doctor info. In the event that you have an emergency, personnel can call a 1-800 number on the bracelet or scan the QR code to access your info. Simple and safe.
As an avid runner and biker, I wear compression pants a lot. I found a brand that I feel lin love with. Tesla Gear makes an incredible pant that has a 4-way stretch to the fabric, is moisture wicking, and blocks 99{6e74c841b8f362d8aea590534016dc569fd3035eeb9e530df8846b42682c6656} of UV rays. The fit is snug, but not too tight, as compression garments should be. These are super comfortable and can work as a base layer or as a pant.
Hydration. You need water to keep your body functioning, it’s a fact of life. I love my KOR water bottles. I have two different ones I use. The first is the KOR One hydration vessel. I have this in a chrome finish. Why? It’s the same water bottle Tony Stark uses in Iron Man 2. I use this one for flavored drinks. If I add BCAAs to my water, want to drink something with electrolytes in it, or just want something with some flavor, I use this bottle. It doesn’t retain flavors, and washes out cleanly. But, if I want straight up H20 for my activity, I use the KOR Nava filter water bottle. This bottle contains a replaceable organic coconut husk filter that does an amazing job of purifying water and making it taste better whenever I’ve used it. You can get these filters on auto-order and they send you 2 every six months – the gift that keeps on giving!
Need stocking stuffer ideas? Gift cards to your local nutrition store are always a good fit. Music gift cards are excellent so that you keep your workout playlists fresh. Chap Stick is always a good idea (it’s uncomfortable while exercising, but you’ve gotta keep your lips ready for finish line kisses too!).
So there’s my list of ideas for this holiday of giving. I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday!
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