Happy Holidays, friends!
I can’t believe the holidays are already upon us. Our season kicks off a little early even, with my oldest having his birthday in mid-November! Now that we’re past birthday celebrations and Thanksgiving, I’m excited to turn my attention to gift-giving.
I don’t know about you, but giving gifts is one of my favorite things to do. I love giving little surprise treats to friends, like a Starbucks e-giftcard on a challenging or momentous day, throughout the year, but holiday shopping is an especially fun time of year.
So to celebrate, I thought I’d round up the favorites gifts I’ve received personally that all support an active lifestyle. These are things I’ve used and enjoyed for years, so they’re certainly tried and true (and often times toddler tested too, ha!).
For running, my Garmin Forerunner 235 is my go-to. In addition to tracking mileage and speed, it also tracks my heart rate which I find helpful when training for longer races. It can also be worn daily as a regular watch and to track your steps. There’s a bunch of different interfaces you can use to change up the look and feel of the watch face, which I find to be fun as well.
My husband and I both workout and run with these Bose Soundsport Bluetooth headphones and they’ve lasted years – winning! I even do Aaptiv bodyweight and weightlifting workouts in these and they stay put. So much better than slipping your phone in your pockets and using wired headphones. I recommend these to anyone and everyone!
My best suggestion for when you’re moving your body is to wear good sweat-wicking socks. It’s a little thing, but it goes a long way. I’ve been wearing Balega socks for years and years, and most of my original pairs I still have! I know that $13 feels like a lot to pay for one pair of socks, but just invest in a few pairs now and add one or two each year. Your feet will thank you for it. My mom’s been putting a pair of these in my Christmas stocking since I was 16 (so for half my lifetime!), and they’re one of my favorite gifts every year (thanks, Mom!).
And finally, the first time I heard of Aaptiv, a fitness workout app, I was highly skeptical. I felt like I “knew enough” about working out to create a good routine for myself. What I learned to love about the app though is the ability to select a workout, hit play, and just do the dang thing. No overthinking about what movement to do next, you just listen to what the trainer in your ear says – and then do it! I also enjoy the built-in music (SO good!) and the trainer’s motivation throughout. There’ve been a few times I’ve wanted to quit and the trainer said, “Once we start, we don’t stop” right when I needed to hear it most. It’s more than worth the annual investment!
Okay friends, it’s your turn! What are your favorite active gifts you’ve received or given?
