Okay it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas now that Halloween and Bonfire Night have been and gone. Now your nearest and dearest, kids, grand kids and close friends may already be dropping hints; a fancy watch, the latest i-phone or other gadget. Indeed you may already be window shopping. Here’s the thing, sometimes the people you love and care for could do with a little encouragement to take a different, healthier path. Now I know not everyone celebrates Christmas (I avoid it by going to Spain!) but if you’re now gearing up for the 25th of December do you recognise any of these?
- Your partner’s waistline has with each passing year got bigger
- Your brother’s garden once picture perfect looks like a wilderness / forest
- The younger members of your family seem constantly hunched over their smart phone
- Your parents’ retired recently and seem to have retired from being active at the same time
- Close friends complain of aches and pains, feeling constantly tired and irritable
So why not then use the season to be jolly as the season to jolly up and get active by giving a health and fitness related gift this Christmas. Here are my top 10 fitness gifts:
1 – Buy them 10 Personal Training Sessions!
Okay this is shameless self-promotion, buy someone you love a block of 10 personal training sessions. You’ll get a nice gift certificate to give them and then can leave the rest to me. Often people that haven’t been active for a while need a helping hand to get started. 10 sessions is a meaningful number and can help to re-establish a more active lifestyle. Book this by 30th of November and receive a generous 10% discount. For more details call me on 07730 038830 or email gav@3fspt.co.uk.
2 – Buy them a Bike!
Whether that’s a mountain bike, a racing bike or a hybrid, this really is an amazing gift to give. Brighton and Hove has a great number of independent bike shops as well as larger national brands such as Evans Cycles
SELECTION OF BRIGHTON & HOVE CYCLE SHOPS:
Freedom Bikes
46-47 George Street, Brighton, BN2 1RJ
Baker Street Bikes
7-8 York Place, Brighton, BN1 4GU
Evans Cycles
4 Air Street, Brighton, BN1 3FB
Hove Cycles
101 Blatchington Road, Hove, BN3 3YG
3 – Buy them Trainers!
Well nothing says New Year’s Resolution quite like a pair of smart new trainers, while there’s no guarantee these will be worn solely for sporting activity, nonetheless this is a nice gift to give. No shortage of shops to buy them from in Brighton and Hove, however you’ll find a great selection at:
SELECTION OF BRIGHTON & HOVE SPORTS SHOPS
Sports Direct
Unit 2, 134-138, North Street, Brighton, BN1 1RG
JD Sports
Unit 1 Churchill Square, Brighton, BN1 2TA
Decathlon Brighton
136 North Street, Brighton BN1 1RG
Run
46 Blatchington Road, Hove, BN3 3YH
4 – Buy them some Weights
There is a great selection of weight training products to buy that could help your love ones develop some lean muscle while toning up their body shape. It is not advisable to buy weights for anyone under the age of 25 as bones can still be developing up until this age, and can be damaged by weight training. For those over 25 a set of dumbbells can make a great gift. For the beginner try 1kg up to 5kg dumbbells.
SELECTION OF BRIGHTON & HOVE SPORTS SHOPS
Sports Direct
Unit 2, 134-138, North Street, Brighton, BN1 1RG
Decathlon Brighton
136 North Street, Brighton BN1 1RG
JD Sports
Unit 1 Churchill Square, Brighton, BN1 2TA
5 – Buy them a Ball!
Now if you a) don’t want to spend a fortune, b) want to prize them away from their smart phone and/or video games then a ball be that a football, basketball, netball, cricket ball or rugby ball may be just the gift you’re looking for. Again you’ll find these in all large sports shops.
SELECTION OF BRIGHTON & HOVE SPORTS SHOPS
Decathlon Brighton
136 North Street, Brighton BN1 1RG
JD Sports
Unit 1 Churchill Square, Brighton, BN1 2TA
Sports Direct
Unit 2, 134-138, North Street, Brighton, BN1 1RG
6 – Buy them a Smart Watch with Heart Rate Monitor!
Now if your-nearest and dearest is gadget mad and the consequences of disappointing them with say a set of golf clubs fills you with fear, then consider the range of smart watches whose functionality leans strongly towards health and fitness. Finding out their pulse rate regularly might make them think it’s time to start a new fitness drive. Popular brands include; Fitbit, Smart and Garmin. Head to:
Churchill Square Shopping Centre
Russell Place, Brighton, BN1 2RG
7 – Buy them a Gym Membership!
Well if you don’t think a personal trainer is for them, then membership to a gym for a year is a great option. There are loads of decent gyms to suit a wide range of budgets, plus you can spread the cost monthly, so pick one that’s close to you, go along and inspect it yourself, and why not treat yourself at the same time. Going together is a great way to support each other as you strive towards a healthier and more active life style.
SELECTION OF BRIGHTON & HOVE GYMS
Fitness First Clubs
78-81 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE
The Gym Brighton
94 London Road, Brighton, BN1 4JF
David Lloyds Brighton
Brighton, BN2 5UF
Snap Fitness
84-86 Denmark Villas, Hove, BN3 3TJ
The Gym
84-88 Blatchington Road, Hove, BN3 3YF
Cheetahs Gym
King Alfred Leisure Centre, Kingsway, Hove, BN3 2WW
Coral Health & Fitness Club
Orchard Rd, Hove, BN3 7BG
8 – Buy them a Scooter
These are a great way of getting to and from school and work which is exercise for free. And these come in a wide range of prices to suit every pocket. Avoid the electric ones as these rather defeat the object! Kids and young teenagers seem to love these.
9 – Buy them a set of Bowls
While not exclusively the preserve of us older adults, Bowls is a popular and indeed highly social activity albeit the outdoor variety is seasonal. Whilst the sport isn’t high in terms of vigour it’s a great way of increasing flexibility, coordination and the benefits of being outdoors and a member of a club are not to be sniffed at either.
Hove & Kingsway Bowling Club
The Beach, Kingsway, Hove, BN3 4GP
10 – Buy them a Healthy Eating Cookbook
Now if your loved one really isn’t the sporty type, then a different tact is to encourage a healthier diet. There are simply loads of titles to choose from covering Vegetarian, Indian, Mediterranean, and just about everything else in between.
The Kemptown Bookshop
91 St. Georges Road, Brighton, BN2 1EE
Waterstones
71-74 North St, Brighton, BN1 1ZA
So there you have it, a Brighton based personal trainer’s top 10 health and fitness gifts to give this Christmas!
May I be the first to wish you and yours a healthy and happy New Year 2020!
How a Brighton and Hove based personal trainer can help you!
I help my clients achieve a healthier and fitter lifestyle by giving nutritional advice combined with a structured bespoke personal training programme. To see how I can help you, and or your loved ones gain a fitter healthier body in 2020, call me on 07730038830 or email gav@3fspt.co.uk today.