Tis the Season!

 

Posted by:
Maya Mohan, Department of Public Health

  Maya is the Physical Activity Coordinator for DPH.

As the holidays approach (and, oh so quickly!) we may be overwhelmed with too many holiday parties, pressure to buy impressive presents for our friends and loved ones, and just a general sense of stress that comes from all things holiday-related. I mean, let’s face it; sometimes going home for the holidays does add to our stress levels. And if you’re anything like me, the easiest item to let drop off our to-do list (since we promise ourselves we’ll get back on track come January 1st) is our regular activity habits!   

Now, this post isn’t about staying active through the holidays (though, that is an excellent way to manage holiday stress and burn off those extra calories), nor is it about New Year’s Resolutions, as I’ve written about that once or twice before.   Instead, it’s about the way we think about physical activity. Instead of viewing our workouts as an extra item on our ever-growing to-do list, we could think about physical activity as a welcomed, positive addition to our daily routine. And what better way to share this “new” way of thinking than to give our loved ones the gift of fitness? 

Here are some easy ideas for fitness-related gifts:

• a yoga mat and/or a workout DVD
• yoga blocks and straps,
• a water bottle (BPA free, of course!)
• pedometers or heart rate monitors
• a new pair of sneakers
• a massage, 
• an Itunes gift card (to buy upbeat workout music)
• a jump rope (how retro!)
• personal training sessions
• babysitting services to help a parent take 30 minutes to go for a walk or a run 

What other ideas do you have for fitness-related gifts?  I’d love to hear them!

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Comments

[Chaya]

One year I got warm winter clothes/gear that was really helpful for running/walking outdoors in the winter (i.e. running gloves, long sleeve tee's, warm athletic pants). After that, I couldn't use the cold weather as an excuse for not working out!