If it s the thought that counts, a gift of fitness says I love you in a way no flawless $2 million, 12-carat diamond ring or $1.2 million Bugatti Veyron ever could.
Yes, the recipient might think your thought involved the words pudgy or chubby or mountain of flab.
But let s put the best possible spin on this: A fitness gift says, I want you to feel great and stick around for many holidays to come so get off your butt already!
Under Armour ColdGear Chase Mock, $60, Brushed Leggings, $55, and Arctic Beenie, $24. For the skier who s always either too hot or too cold on the slopes, the answer might be a sleek and smooth first layer from Under Armour.
Comfy and cold-wicking, and the raglan sleeves make the most of any guy s shoulders and the leggings keep your thighs safe from the chafe. Top it off with a head-hugging microfleece beanie and you re good to go. Available at , and Sports Authority stores.
Camelbak Bottle, $10 to $14. Outside magazine called it a sippy cup for adults, and that pretty much sums it up. Three sizes, 11 colors, no leaks, no spills even when some klutz accidentally knocks it off the weight bench.
The perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite gym rat. Available at Bass Pro, Dick s Sporting Goods, Sports Authority and REI.
Slip Stream Hydration Pack, $40.
For the biker babe in your life, it holds 50 ounces and eliminates the need for an extra seat pack. Available in neon green keeps riders safe and fashionable. Lots more to choose from, too, because Camelbak makes hydration packs for skiers, runners, hikers, bikers pretty much everybody who plays outdoors.
Available at Bass Pro, Dick s Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, REI and most bike shops.
Nike ID anything. I don t know about you, but I could spend all day customizing shoes, workout apparel, soccer balls and sports duffels for everybody on my list.
Pick from among 45 men s shoe styles and 27 women s and then create them in your giftee s image from the sole up. Purple shoes, pink laces and neon yellow swoosh? You got it!
Go to and follow the links to Nike ID.
Power Glove Heart Rate Monitor, $80. You know how heart-rate monitors can be a big pain?
(Just take my word for it.) Here s a nifty solution for workout warriors who love to track that sort of thing: a glove equipped with an embedded sensor that provides instant updates on heart rate and calories burned, eliminating the need for an annoying chest strap. Feather-light, and you can see the readout in the dark.
Available at .
Kahtoola Flightboot, $150, and Flightdeck, $185. Trails iced over?
Don t let that slow down the family runner. Kahtoola s insulated boot fits right over running shoes, and it has lots of traction for those slippery slopes. And if there s a load of snow on the ground, just slip your Flightboot into the Flightdeck and you ve got instant snowshoes.
Available at .
Torque F5 Fold Away Strength Trainer, $3,500. This is at the top of my when-I-win-the-lottery wish list.
(Santa, baby, are you listening?) If you have some bucks to blow on someone really special, check out the latest creation from Torque Fitness, industry mavericks whose home-friendly gym has won my heart. One minute it s a sleek cabinet taking up less than a 4-by-4-foot space.
Then open the kid-resistant latching doors and presto change-o it s a kick-butt gym system with an adjustable bench, built-in leg extension/prone curl station and 200-pound weight stack, just waiting for somebody to choose from among 150 exercises. To find an authorized Torque Fitness Dealer, go to .
Harbinger Antimicrobial Wash Dry FlexFit Weightlifting Gloves, $18 to $20.
Think weightlifting gloves are for wusses? Hey you calling Oprah a wuss? She gets a good grip on the bar with her Harbingers, which are specifically designed for a woman s hand, and so can your strength-training sweetie.
The germ-fighting antimicrobial mesh helps keep em fresh, but if they start getting stinky, just toss them in the wash. (Yes, you heard right.) They get softer with each laundering but retain their strength.
Available in men s and women s sizes at most sporting-goods stores and health clubs and at .
Lazy Lizards Yoga Mat, $24, and DVD, $17. For the littlest yogi, her own mat with 12 popular poses printed right on it.
Comes with pose-by-pose instructions in three fun colors there s an irresistible princess pink with royal purple printing. Or combine it with the Lazy Lizards Yoga for KIDS! DVD, led by creator and instructor Hannah Smith.
You re never too young or too old to give it a go. Go to .
180S Women s Powder Glove and Mitt, $40.
Blowing on your hands can warm them up, but removing gloves with frozen fingers ain t easy. So the creative types at 180S have built that right into their major mitten. Lift a magnetic flap and blow into the Exhale Heating System and you can warm those digits without taking off anything.
Oh, and here s a feature that snow bunnies will like: a supersoft fabric along the edge of your glove made just for wiping your nose. Available at Dick s Sporting Goods, the Sports Authority and .
Fitterfirst s Cobblestone Walkway, $40.
If you d like to get Grandma up and moving but not too far this could be the ticket. Walking barefoot across these cute rubber bumps improves balance and circulation while massaging those tootsies.
It s a modern-day take on an ancient Chinese practice apparently, they have cobblestone walkways and foot-reflexology parks on every corner but a whole lot cheaper than a trip to China.
Available at .
The Cooking Light Cook s Essential Recipe Collection, $18. For the person who loves to cook and loves to eat what he cooks but hates getting fat, Cooking Light magazine has created a collection of books featuring chicken, soup, pasta, Italian and slow-cooker recipes, the best from the past 20 years.
And desserts did I mention the desserts? Available at .
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