You may not be an athlete, but the odds are high that you have at least one athlete on your list this Christmas.
Christmas shopping can be tough for athletes. They often have different habits, goals, routines and even body types than the average person. The look of an “athlete” can vary, but often the desired results of most are relatively the same.
Athletes are always looking for ways to get better, faster, stronger, or smarter. Give the athlete in your life something that helps them along in their athletic endeavors.
Here’s our list of great gifts for athletes:
iPod Shuffle
An obvious gift but never the less, a great one for athletes. The main benefit of using the shuffle over a smartphone is it limits the distractions someone might face while working out. No Facebook, no email, just music.
Bluetooth Headphones
Now, unfortunately, these won’t work with the iPod Shuffle mentioned previously, but they do offer freedom from annoying wires. And for any athlete who has ever tried tossing weight around with wires dangling, they know the frustration that comes with it. The Jaybird X2 Bluetooth Headphones offer wireless freedom without sacrificing sound quality or durability. They also have an incredible battery life.
Weighted Vest
Pushing your limits isn’t just an expression regarding how far our mind can go. With the addition of a weighted vest, you can instantly push your bodies physical limits by adding an extra 10-20 pounds of weight. Athletes can throw on this vest while training explosive movements like sprinting, jumping, and footwork movement. Extra resistance during these movements helps promote muscle growth and pushes the body to get stronger.
Agility Ladder
Speaking of agility. While wearing that weighted vest, one of the best ways to improve foot speed is with an agility ladder. With hundreds of different footwork movements to practice, this is an awesome tool to incorporate into athletic training as it both improves foot speed as well as offers explosive cardio exercise suitable for athletic performance.
Kettle Bells
Kettlebells have been around for a long time and like most things, if it’s still around after 20+ years there’s a good chance it’s actually worth using. This is rule of thumb is even more so true in the fitness industry. It seems like almost every year there is some new tool for working out abs, when in reality the best ab workouts only require our own body weight. The kettlebell however, is timeless and will always be great for building strength and endurance. A whole set of kettlebells may cost you a little extra, so you might be better off just getting one or two.
TRX Training Kit
For the times when you just can’t make it to the gym, it’s always nice to have something that can be done from home. The TRX Training Kit is just that. With this basic kit, you can train the entire body by combining variable-resistance bodyweight training and elements of instability with movement. The kit itself also supplies workout videos and other digital tools to help athletes keep track of their progress.
Activity Tracker & Heart Rate Monitor
Watches are so boring. If you’re going to strap something onto your wrist, make sure it can actually do something besides tell you the time. The Garmin Vivosmart Activity Tracker makes recording your daily activity way easier and a lot more stylish. For any athlete who wants to keep track of what their body is doing, this is what you need. Not only does it track heart rate, but it also monitors sleep quality, calories burned, and steps taken. On top of all that, it connects to your phone and can provide you with alerts when you receive a text message or email. Like I said, watches are boring, and athletes are anything but that. So get them a watch to fit their personality.
Foam Roller
If you’re not sure what you are looking at right now. Just trust me, it’s an athlete thing. Basically, this little pipe can be used all over the body. The idea is that you position yourself so that your body is rolling on top of the pipe. This can be done on the legs, back, shoulders or anywhere else you can roll out. Benefits include: Preventing injury, reduce recovery time, breaks up scar tissue, and increasing flexibility.
Protein Powder
Due to high levels of activity, the body of an athlete requires fuel to keep it going and growing. This includes small meals between regular meals. The post-workout period is also the prime time for muscles to grow and recover. Protein is an essential nutrient in the process. Whey Protein Powder is the perfect complement to a healthy athlete’s diet. Just make sure you check the label. For any athlete who competes at a collegiate or professional level, they must refrain from using banned substances. For the most part, basic whey protein powders will be clean for athletes, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Books
Believe it or not, athletes don’t spend all their time practicing, hitting the weights, or in competition. So when they aren’t working their bodies, it’s the ideal time to train their minds. What better way that with some informative books. The biggest challenge for an athlete is learning how to improve. Some do it naturally, but others sometimes need a kick in pants. These three books cover areas regarding learning and growth. Whether is figuring out how to overcome a loss, getting better at a skill, or simply looking for a course correction, these books all come highly recommended by athletes and coaches. Pick one or all of them up today. PS – they’re great for non-athletes as well.
Anything From Lululemon
Seriously, anything. All athletes love clothes from Lululemon, and if they say they don’t either they’re lying or they’ve never worn anything from there. Which means it’s time for that to change. It’s no longer just a brand for “Yoga Moms”. They create some of the comfiest, most durable, and flexible clothing that currently exists. The price tag is a bit on the higher end, but the quality of the product is worth every penny. Not to mention they stand behind their brand. So even if it’s been three years since you bought something and the seams are coming undone, they will replace it, no questions asked.
That’s our list of great gifts for athletes. Do you have any ideas that we may have missed? Please share them below, we’re always looking for new gift ideas to add to our list.
See our honourable mentions by looking at the full list.
See The Full List
