Better health under the tree

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Combination watch, GPS and heart monitor (CNS)

You refuse to purchase another necktie, sweater or pair of earrings for the people on your holiday gift list this year.

In fact, you'd feel a lot better knowing the presents you buy actually end up doing some good, instead of shoved into the back of a drawer somewhere.

So, why not give the gift of health?

Here are eight health-related gifts that will please most of the people on your list:

Heart-rate monitor

MORE than just a humdrum medical device, a heart-rate monitor can actually be a fun way to keep track of how life -- laughing, stress, work, lack of sleep and exercise -- affects your heart function. The most accurate heart-rate monitors strap across the chest underneath clothes and come with a watch-like device that shows a digital readout of heart rate. Perfect for a stressed-out person on your gift list who needs to lower his resting heart rate, an important indication of heart health. Also great for an exerciser who needs a heart rate monitor to make sure she's working out in the correct heart-rate zone. Get a good one for well under $100. Look for reputable brands such as Polar and Garmin. Added features like out-of-target-range alarms and calculators to average heart rate can come in handy.

Motivational music

MAKE a compilation CD of fast-paced songs that will motivate your loved one to endure a hard workout. Like the mix tape of an era gone by, a homemade mixed CD doesn't cost much (except the price of a blank CD). But the effort you will have gone through to fill it with the right songs will say so much.

Guest passes to a few gyms

YOU could spend a lot of money getting someone on your gift list a year-long membership to a gym. Of course, such memberships aren't cheap -- plus there's always a chance the recipient will not use it.

Instead, why don't you give a series of guest passes that will get your special someone inside a few different gyms? That way, they can decide which, if any, facility they feel most comfortable joining. And you'll feel good about opening the doors to a year of regular workouts without the risk of signing someone up to a gym they won't want to visit.

Ice cleats

THESE little devices improve foot traction on snow and ice. Perfect for the winter runner or walker who wants to exercise in the snow without the fear of slipping and suffering an injury. There are several brands on the market available for under $50. Some fit over the bottom of the runner with a Velcro strap or an adjustable hook-and-loop fastener. Other brands screw directly into the bottom of a runner or boot. (Check out www.icespike.net, 32north.com and petzl.com).

Fun-coloured yoga mat

EVEN for the person who will never practise yoga, a well-cushioned yoga mat can serve as soft area for at-home floor exercises. Make the mat extra special by purchasing it in a fun colour such as blue, purple or pink and you up the chances it will be a permanent fixture in your gift recipient's home, never to be rolled up and put away. Available from approximately $20 to $40. The thickest, heaviest, highest-density mats can cost up to $100. (Available on Amazon and at local bookstores).

TRX suspension training Pro Pack

THIS is for the serious exerciser who dreams of a compact exercise system for his home or to take on the road. Developed by a Navy SEAL, this nylon-constructed set of straps hooks onto a doorway or solid, fixed structure and creates resistance through body weight and gravity. Weighs less than 1 kilogram and is designed to hold 450 kg. Comes with a DVD. Available for about $200 at trxtraining.com

Superfoods basket

FILL up a large gift basket with some unusual but ultra-nutritious foods available at your grocery store. Items to pack in the basket: Unsweetened nut butter, whole-grain crisp bread, extra virgin olive oil, top-of-the-line canned salmon, less-than ripe avocados (so they last for a few days), dried figs and green tea. Add a bottle of red wine (which, research says contains potent antioxidants) and you have a gourmet gift basket of foods that will give anyone a dose of tasty nutrition.

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Have an interesting story idea you'd like Shamona to write about? Contact her at shamona.harnett@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 12, 2011 D1