Good Morning! :)

How’s your morning going so far? I just got in from a nice sweaty cardio sesh, followed by a grueling upper body push workout with Mr. Trainer. Those muscles are definitely going to be making noises later on today!! Breakfast is currently being enjoyed but is unpictured for now because it involves one of my new things for Try Something New Tuesday 35 and hence must be kept a surprise until tomorrow’s recap. Brace yourself, it looks nothing like my usual:

Yogurt, apples, and Nature's Path Kamut Puffs mixed with Kashi Go Lean.. delicious, but a bit repetitive.

Enough about breakfast. Today I want to talk about Christmas. Christmas presents to be precise. In my family, presents have never been the primary focus of Christmas, nor do I believe they ever should be. Having said that, they are always involved and there is always the difficulty of figuring out what to buy for people. Well today I hope to calm some of your worries with a gift guide for the female fitness buff on your list (and in the event that the female fitness buff is you, perhaps a few ideas for your own!) ;)

A Heart Rate Monitor: When I trained for my marathon last year, I used my heart rate monitor for all of my runs. Garmin, Polar, and Timex all have products that track time and splits, heart rate, distance, and calories burned. Depending on the model, you can also get GPS, tracking for multiple sports, and attachments (like USBs) to load your workouts onto your computer.

Garmin Forerunner (Click for source)

Polar FT40 (Click for source)

Timex Iron Man Road Trainer Heart Rate Monitor - Women's (click for source)

Workout Gear: Especially Run:Speed Shorts. Actually come to think of it, add on any other apparel from Lululemon – I have never been dissatisfied! I have the shorts pictured below… as well as one…. or two other pairs. ;)

(Click for source)

Other tried and tested favourites….

Push Ur Limits tank (lined and amazing for running)

The Wear With All Jacket

Collapsible Waterbottles: Currently on my own lust list, these stand up on their own when water is inside, then collapse when empty and can be stashed in a gym bag or purse. The one pictured below is by Vapur, a company whose bottles are non-toxic and eco-friendly. They can be frozen and used as ice packs, and are also dishwasher-safe.

(Click for source)

Magazine Subscriptions: Oxygen, Women’s Health, SELF are 3 of 5 that I receive and I’d definitely recommend them for some great healthy recipes and workouts. (To see my reviews of all 3, check out this post.)

A Foam Roller: There’s no need for expensive massage treatments (although I’ll be the first to admit that they are very nice and always appreciated) – this little baby does the job for you! If you missed my post on the wonderful foam roller and how to use it, check it out here.

DIY Gym Kit: If you’ve ever gone straight from the gym to work and realized that you forgot your shampoo, moisturizer, hair elastics, deodorant, or some other essential, you will appreciate the value of this! I keep one in my gym bag all the time and have used it on several occasions. Some convenient items include…

  • Travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, body wash and loofah
  • Bobby pins and hair elastics (because breaking one while running on the treadmill and having to finish your run looking like a hot mess with hair flying in your face is probably not the look you’re going for.)
  • Face wash and moisturizer
  • Facial wipes
  • Mini deodorant
  • Disposable razor

…then, put it all in a nice bag like this one:

Click for source

A Stability Ball: I’ve mentioned before that transitioning from university student life to a desk job has been a bit of a shock to me. Going from walking around campus all day to hours of sitting? Not so nice for the posture! (If you’re looking for some at-work stretches to prevent yourself from looking like a hunchback in a few years, check out the deskercising post for ideas.) Although I don’t sit on a stability ball at work, I do have one at home that stays by my desk. The benefit is that the ball forces you to align your spine and engage your core muscles to stay balanced. Oh, and they’re also kinda fun. :)

iTunes Gift Cards… because you can never have too many songs to run/walk/lift/cycle/ellipticize etc to!

Alrighty guys, that’s it for me today. Have a fantastic Tuesday! :)

Questions for today:

  • What’s on your Christmas list this year?
  • Are you a runner with really good earphones? My current pair have seen better days and I’m searching for some that don’t fall out easily. Any recommendations for me? Feel free to post links!
  • Who do you have the most trouble shopping for?
Subscribe Button