Gift Guide for Health & Fitness Lovers

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Bryan and I enjoyed sleeping in, watching the parade on TV and snuggling with Pete in the morning. In the afternoon, we went over to my in-laws’ house for dinner. It was a relaxing, fun day. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I feel like Christmas will be here before I know it. I’ve only purchased presents for one person on our list, so I have a lot more shopping that needs to be done. Many of my friends are passionate about health and fitness, so I thought it would be fun to put together a gift guide for them. I hope this inspires some gift ideas for the fitness lover in your life. 

1. Merrithew Folding Travel Mat, $39.99: Merrithew sent me this product to try out. Since I enjoyed it so much, I’m mentioning it in this gift guide. This project is perfect for the fitness lover in your life that also likes to travel. This mat is lightweight and compact to fit in a carry-on bag. It’s great for working out in hotel rooms or placing over gym-provided mats. 

2. bkr 500ml Glass Water Bottle, $35: I have a bkr water bottle that I use every single day. I’m attached to it. if you don’t already know, glass bottles are BPA free and are the cleanest way to drink water. You don’t get that metallic canteen taste. If you’ve ever had water from a glass bottle, you know how amazing it tastes. I don’t think you could ever have enough bkr bottles (they didn’t send me anything for free and they aren’t paying me to mention them). Right now, I’m carrying my coral colored one to and from work everyday, but I’d love to have one in the color “Sheer Vacation Blue” to leave at home. 

3. Lululemon The Mat, $68: I’ve wanted this yoga mat for years, so I hope to purchase it sometime very soon. I borrowed one at my old yoga studio and basically told myself I had to own it one day. It’s the best at wicking away sweat. If you practice yoga, you know that it’s very frustrating to do certain positions if you’re constantly sliding all over your mat. Although the Lululemon mat is pricey, it’s certainly worth the investment. The store stands by its products and will refund your money if you’re unhappy, and replace your mat if it gets damaged. 

4. MagicBullet Nutribullet, $80: Although I have a Ninja blender, it can be a pain to lug it out of my cabinet just to make a quick smoothie for myself. It’s perfect for many things, but it honestly doesn’t blend ice that well. One of my college roomates had a MagicBullet blender, and I was obsessed with it. I used it all the time to make super quick green smoothies before running out to class. If you love making smoothies, this machine will be a huge time-saver. 

5. Bubba Big Straws, $6: I recently was introduced to these straws by Lauryn from The Skinny Confidential. She posted a bunch of photos on Snapchat of her smoothies with these thick straws, so I had to know where she got them. Luckily, you can purchase them from Amazon for $6! I love that you can throw them into the dishwasher. I need to order these babies soon, because they will fit perfectly with many of my glass water bottles. I get freaked out by products that aren’t BPA free, so I’m happy to say that these are BPA free and are made of 100% food-grade silicone.

6. Merrithew Flex-Bands, $33.99: I received a set of the flex bands from Merrithew to try out. Since I liked them so much, I figured I’d mention them in this gift guide. The bands are latex-free and are great for adding upper and lower body resistance training into your workout. I like using them to help with my flexibility. I danced my whole life until I graduated from college, and I haven’t been in a dance studio since. Although yoga helps with my flexibility, I like to stretch at home when watching TV. These come in handy and are perfect for traveling or carrying to and from the gym.

7. Young Living Diffuser, $87: Essential oils are amazing. I have a few in my home that I use as a yoga mat cleaner, but I’d LOVE to start diffusing them. I researched A LOT and found that the diffuser and organic essential oils from Young Living are by far the most ethical and the best overall. It’s actually on my wishlist this year! There’s an oil for every type of occasion – sleeping, relaxing, working out, etc. You can use essential oils in many different ways. You can rub them on the desired area of your body, add them to water, or use them aromatically in a diffuser. 

8. Spiralizer, $30: A spiralizer is a lifesaver for my gluten-free friends, because it’s the easiest way to make veggie noodles. It’s perfect for making spiral slices from firm fruits and veggies like apples, onions, carrots, cucumbers, cabbages, etc. My favorite is zucchini! This one is known as the “world’s best spiralizer,” so it’s got to be good, right? It has 420 grade stainless steel blades, where most spiralizers on the market have 201 and 304 grade blades. At only $30, it’s definitely worth giving a try.

9. Wholesome Beauty Dry Brush, $12: I’ve recently read numerous articles about the benefits of dry brushing, so it’s something that is on my list to try out in the very near future. I know. I’m late to the party. People have been doing this for YEARS. Dry brushing sheds dead skin cells, which results in smoother and brighter looking skin. It also assists in improving blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. 

10. Nutiva Organic Black Chia Seeds, $8: I love chia seeds so much. I put them in everything from smoothies, acai bowls, yogurt, and even ice water. Chia seeds have two times more protein than most grains and five times more calcium than milk! They also are high in omega-3 and omega-6, fiber, potassium and antioxidants. Basically they are the bomb. I love mixing them with flax and hemp seeds. You’re probably thinking that chia seeds are a strange holiday present, but trust me. If you’re friend is into health and fitness, she’s going to love receiving these. 

If you’re shopping online today, I wanted to let you know about a website called Ebates. No, they aren’t paying me to mention them. I just genuinely love the site and am personally using it. Basically, how it works is you sign up and search for vendors on the site such as Nordstrom, Gap, Nike, etc. Then, you click on that vendor’s website within Ebates. After making a purchase using that link, Ebates will give you a specific percentage of your purchase back in cash. Here are some examples:

• 6% cash back at Nordstrom
• 8% cash back at Gap
• 8% cash back at Amazon
• 10% cash back at Macys.

Thank you for reading my post today.
Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.