HometownSource Blogs

More health stuff….It seems I’m not the only one all about the health and fitness craze this year. Nope. It’s popping up while I watch the morning news with my oatmeal. And now it’s coming up in newspapers too. Yet it’s not just the “working out is good for you” report, it’s the “here’s some cheap healthy gifts for the holidays.”

With this holiday season, I think we can all agree, it’s a tight squeeze and presents just won’t be as abundant as last year. Normally, I’m the type who buys everyone a few gifts, but this year it’s going to be one present, if your lucky (the parents and I, along with one grandparent have agreed a thoughtful card is all that’s needed this Christmas season).

So when I came across some of these healthy gift ideas, I flipped, because yes, most are somewhat cheap.

One I really liked was the gift of healthy food. I think right now with hard economic times, people are more apt to pick up the cheap box of mac n cheese, than the more expensive fresh produce, so why not make someone a fruit basket? It sounds kind of cheesy, but I bet they’ll like the free food, and you’ll like only having to put $25 or so on the plastic.

Another one I thought was great, workout DVDs. Now of course, this is the kind of thing some might take offense too (the what, you think I’m fat thing) but if there’s someone you know loves to salsa (and maybe can’t afford the classes right now) or someone that been a little stressed and could use some deep breathing yoga, the gift could be there’s for less than $20.

There’s also the more traditional exercise clothes, yet I recommend this only if you know 100 percent someone wants it. It’s just not that exciting to get new running socks or sweatpants, unless you really needed them.
Along the same line, there’s also a ton of cool health monitor stuff, like pedometers and heart rate monitors (these can get pricey though, mine was $50!) But once again, unless someone asks for these, it could be taken the wrong way.

However, aside from actual gifts, my favorite idea was the experience. I think we all too often forget the real meaning of Christmas and turn it into yet another reason to buy someone a gift. So instead of wandering through aisles, throwing stuff in carts, hoping someone will like it. Why not take someone out to eat. It could be their favorite restaurant, or maybe a healthy cafe that you know about. This way you both win without breaking the bank.