So many people nowadays are focused on health and wellness, including both their physical well-being to mental health. Despite how busy or hectic life gets, it’s always important to take care of number-one. Getting someone special in your life a gift of good health will be appreciated, especially after a busy holiday season of stress and indulgence. And there are so many options to consider when it comes to health and wellness.
Smartwatches and fitness trackers
One of the most obvious gift options is a new smartwatch or fitness tracker. Over the years, these have become far more than just devices on your wrist that can count steps, track workouts, and display notifications from a connected phone. They remind you to get up and move when you have been sitting too long. They monitor your heart rate 24/7. You can even use some of them to take an ECG reading, sense temperature, do mindfulness and breathing exercises, check your response to stress, and alert emergency services or friends and family members should you experience a fall (or, with the latest Apple Watches, a car crash). When it comes to good health, these devices are so useful.
Fitness trackers are more affordable but you can typically do more with a full-featured smartwatch, like the Apple Watch Series 8, Fitbit Sense 2, and Google Pixel Watch. And some of the latest phones, like the Fitbit Inspire 3, have tons of health and wellness features that go beyond just basic step and sleep counts (it even comes with a six-month Fitbit Premium trial subscription for even deeper insights on health, along with access to workouts, mindfulness sessions, and more.)
Meditation/sleep devices
At CES 2022 earlier this year, health tech, including meditation devices, were a huge focus, and we suspect it will be the same for next year.
The idea with meditation devices is to ironically use technology to help encourage shutting down from screens and other distracting tech to clear your mind, improve your focus, and de-stress. Meditation devices often come in the form of smartwatches that let you access mindfulness exercises through a partner app. But they can also involve accessories like essential oil diffusers with a selection of calming and restorative scents.
Another type of meditation device might include sleep tech products that can focus on helping you get some rest. I reviewed the Bose SleepBuds, for example, and found them soothing and calming while trying to catch some ZZZs. You won’t even feel them in your ears yet the soothing sounds will wake up feeling refreshed.
For those who don’t want something in their ear, consider a white noise or sound machine that can play a soothing sound, whether that’s rustling leaves or fire crackling, to help you wind down.
Fitness gear
The most traditional thing we think about when considering health is fitness. This doesn’t have to mean working out at or prepping for a marathon. It can mean doing simple things like going for walks and hikes, bike rides, or even doing daily stretches. With that said, if you do know someone who is looking to set up their own home gym and get serious about the fitness aspect of their health, there are some basic items you can get to help them get started.
Dumbbells and weights are more expensive than you might realize: it can cost in the hundreds to get a full set, which is why most people start out with a few light weights and gradually add to the collection as they build strength. A simple set of rubber hex dumbbells will go a long way, even if they aren’t quite ready to use them yet. There are exercises they can do with one as well.
Or, opt for a simply stability ball they can use for ab exercises. These can also be used while at their desk from time to time to work on posture and strengthen the core. Not to mention, it will be super hilarious to wrap!
If you want to go big and know they have the space, consider an exercise bike so they can sweat it out to some great workouts from a tablet, their smartphone, or even the machine’s built-in screen. Check out our detailed exercise bike buying guide to find the right model for you.
Health monitors
Health monitors might sound like clinical gifts, and they sort of are. But for some people, they can be thoughtful and show that you care. For someone who has blood pressure issues, for example, an armband blood pressure monitor they can use at home will negate the need for them to head to the local pharmacy to get a reading whenever they want to take one. They can keep tabs on the results, often within an app, and provide the data to their doctor at the next visit.
For someone with respiratory issues, a pulse oximeter is a good way to gauge their oxygen saturation at any time. They can take a reading daily and, once again, report the results to their doctor.
Small appliances
One aspect we often forget about good health is food. What you consume makes a huge difference in your overall health, no matter how active you are.
Smoothies are a great, quick way to get lots of vitamins and nutrients. And making one at home is simple. It is, however,the clean-up that can be a drag. Plus, who wants to use a huge, full-sized blender for one protein smoothie? A personal blender is a really handy tool to have and a solid gift of good health. It will encourage them not to skip breakfast or to reach for the potato chips and unhealthy snacks when they feel those late-night hunger pangs. Pop in liquid, ice, frozen or fresh fruit and some protein powder, blend, and drink right from the same cup. Clean-up is a breeze and many also come with a travel lid to blend and go, drinking in the car on the way to the office.
If they have been looking to get more fibre, fruits, and vegetables into their diet, a juicer provides a creative way to do so. They can experiment with different blends, from carrot, apple, and ginger to spinach, bananas, and raspberries, until they find their favourites. It’s a quick and simple way to supplement their diet and make sure they’re getting everything they need from all the important food groups. Plus, fresh OJ in the morning at home? Yes, please!
Health is about more than you think
Good health for one person might mean getting more physical activity. But for another, it could gravitate more towards keeping on top of existing health issues. For another, still, the priority could be on improving sleep and sleep quality. Whatever the case, there’s a unique gift of good health you can get that will have them smiling from ear to ear, and knowing that you care.
Check out lots of health and fitness gear to give the gift of good health at Best Buy Online.Â
