Gifts Of Health – The Best Fitness Gadgets

Great gifts for your loved ones and for yourself are those that not only promote happiness, but also promote a healthy lifestyle.  You can consider any of the following fitness gadgets and accessories to show how much you care.

Heart rate monitors are the perfect gift for people who are very much into cardiovascular exercises.  These gadgets tell you if you’re exercising at the right intensity to strengthen your heart and lungs, as well as to burn excess calories.  You can get heart rate monitors from sporting goods stores and cycling and running shops.

Pedometers measure distance walked and the number of steps taken.  A pedometer is a great tool for people who want to get into the 10,000-step a day routine to lose weight, improve muscle tone, and decrease test.  Seeing the actual numbers can be a great motivator, too, to keep increasing your activity level.

Resistance bands and/or dumbbells are portable equipments you can use anytime, anywhere to improve muscle strength and tone your muscles.  You can use bands and dumbbells for your routine resistance exercises as well as incorporate them into yoga exercises.  You can give these tools as a gift, together with exercise videos that give a lot of great workout ideas using these equipments.

Stability balls have become very helpful tools for aerobic exercises, yoga, and Pilates.  They enhance the effectiveness of exercises because more muscles are activated, including the core, hip, and leg muscles, and more energy is expended.  Using a stability ball not only increases strength and flexibility but also improves balance, coordination, agility, and mobility.

GPS or Global Positioning System units tell you how much distance you’ve covered and at what rate so you can gauge how hard you’re working.  A GPS unit is a great gadget for runners, cyclists, inline skaters, cross-country skiers, and hikers because it will provide them with the mileage, speed, pace, altitude, location, and number of calories burned.

Balance trainers, like Reebok Core Boards, BOSU Balance Trainers, and balance blocks and discs help maintain and improve balance.  The trainers strengthen the muscles that we use to perform everyday tasks, so if we don’t have the time to exercise, we are still doing our muscles some good while we’re performing our chores.

Personal training lessons are great for people who want to start a fitness regimen, those who want to improve their current training, or those who have just come back from an injury.  A few sessions is a worthwhile investment and are great to help you determine your fitness level at present and to design a program that perfectly fits your needs.

Safety gears are indispensable tools for any sort of sport or recreational and/or fitness activity.  These are especially important when giving skateboards, bikes, skates, or scooters as gifts.  Kneepads, elbow pads, wrist guards, and helmets keep us safe and protected while engaging in our favorite activity.  With children, it is very important that when buying a helmet, it is a perfect fit to the head and that the child knows how to wear it properly.

Whatever activity you choose to keep fit and healthy, or even if it’s just for fun, do not forget to include cool-down exercises for your calf muscles.  Here’s a simple routine that both adults and children can perform.

• Stand with your feet apart at hip’s width, and your knees and toes pointing forward.
• Keep both knees and toes pointed forward as you slide one leg back into a deep lunge.
• Create a straight line from your head to the back of your heel by leaning your entire body forward.
• Place your hands on the thigh of your leg in front for support.
• Hold the stretch for 15 to 20 seconds; breathe normally.
• Switch sides and do the same with your other leg.
• Do as many repeats as you can.

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