#1 product of the year for me was the UP BAND. I've truly enjoyed the data that comes along with the band and have been thoroughly motivated to get to my steps goal and increase my sleep. Probably the biggest eye opener was the SLEEP portion (because let's face it, a 25,000 step day and 4 hours of sleep just doesn't add up). In October I "upped" my UP Band steps goal to 15k a day. This is about 8 miles. I was REALLY nervous to do this until Tray said, "what are you worried about? Failure? Just change your goal already and move on with it" so - I did. In the past week and 1/2 I had a 9 day streak of over 15k steps with my longest stride day being 27,555 on December 1st (about 13.3 miles of steppin'!) Needless to say, this band has worked well for the competitive nature in me.
Another product that would be a great gift for your fitness enthusiast would be the SIX PACK BAG. This is actually something I don't own - BUT SHOULD! It's a meal planning system that allows the user to have different areas for their food for the day (including a couple blender bottle sections for their protein shakes and/or water bottles!). PERFECT! Why didn't I think of this? Anyone want to gift me the SIX PACK BAG because you're awesome?
Obviously shoes are important. This year I learned how important when Tray made me change/buy new shoes every 6 months! By the time 6 months was up you could feel how important it was to get a new sole on those tired feet. My personal favorite? Nike Free Runs. Obsessed with the colors, obsessed with the light weight and obsessed with the barefoot like feel. I mean I'm bohemian at heart...of course I would walk around barefoot everywhere if it was possible.
What fitness enthusiast doesn't like to cook? I have yet to find one that hasn't been a fan of their own kitchen (to monitor sodium intake, fat content and portion control). One of my favorite kitchen items and a necessity was actually gifted to me by my mom. Now I do not have a lot of experience with many different brands of hand immersion blenders but the Cuisinart CSB-77 SmartStick® Hand Blender is pretty much the raddest contraption ever. You have three functions like a hand blender, food processor and the hand mixer all in one. You can make awesome recipes like Spinach and Zucchini Soup or my Roasted Cauliflower Soup or even one of the best desserts ever, the Banana Almond Butter Ice Cream. Yum Yum, it's all good...possibilities are endless when you own a hand immersion blender. It's by far my favorite kitchen gadget I own!
One of the products I purchased from myself was the BALANCE BALL CHAIR through Gaiam.com. This was primarily because I had a gift card; however, although probably used seldom in December - I really like this contraption. I feel it keeps me alert and active while sitting (if that's even possible?) I move a lot in the morning, I move at lunch and I move after work so slouching in my chair sometimes isn't an option. This keeps me upright and suppppposedly burns calories while sitting - which seems like wishful thinking. None the less, a thoughtful gift for someone who most likely wouldn't purchase it themselves.
And finally (for now), the gift I gave myself, The Omega Juicer. My juicer is the NC900HDC Nutrition Center and it's a versatile machine. Keep in mind, if you want to buy one - buy it online (elsewhere from the Omega site). You can find these, anytime of year, for under $300. I got mine for Black Friday at Macy's for $220ish. This is a masticating-style juicer which means it juices at low speeds of 80 RPMs (minimizing heat build-up and oxidation). This particular one forces product into the tight chamber, grinding and pressing the food to squeeze out the juice. You can also make nut butters, baby food, soy milk, almond milk, pasta, grind spices, mince herbs and garlic. Realistically, I'll stick to juicing and MAYBE nut butters but it's become fun to play with and a way to have a very healthy way of ingesting multiple servings of veggies! I am going to start to grow wheat grass in the new year - so stay tuned for a post on that!
Keep in mind, work out clothes are ALWAYS something that your loved ones will enjoy. My favorites this year were the SCUBA Hoodie from Lululemon and this summer, when it came to shorts, nothing beat Nike's Womens Shorts. You can definitely get the shorts on sale from Nike.com periodically (most likely not around the holidays) for as little as $20 a pair.
Other great gifts are PURE BARRE GIFTCARDS or class packs for a local yoga, bikram, spin/cycle or training studio. I know most crossfit classes will allow you to gift 5-10 classes or more. This means you can get your loved one involved and after 10 classes they'll be hooked on the energy and how they feel!
xoxo - Happy Holidays from Jenistrayning :)
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