Garmin
Gifted
Don’t look now, New Year’s resolutions are on-deck. Launch them into 2013 with a gift that really gets them going By Anne Stein CTW Features There are fitness gadgets to excite and inspire exercisers of any level, whether you’re shopping for an Ironman triathlete or trying to persuade a couch potato to get up and get active. And since it’s all in the name of health, you might just want to pick up a duplicate gift for yourself.
Keep in mind what activities interest the individual, says Jessica Matthews, exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. This will help you identify gifts that they will use and enjoy. “Are they someone who enjoys working out at home or do they prefer attending group fitness classes? Would they perhaps like working one-on-one with a personal trainer at the gym? It’s important to consider how he or she is most likely to work out,” says Matthews.
Let it snow… New Balance
Holiday Gift Guide • 2012 • 16
Fit to Be
If your favorite runner dreads winter because of snow and ice, check out the New Balance Winter 110 trail running shoe. This minimalist-style shoe is wrapped with a waterproof layer that protects feet from slush and snow, and it comes with plush lining for warmth ($125, running shops). Someone more interested in a walk or short hike might try the New Balance 1099 lightweight boot. It’s waterproof and the sole’s designed to grip snow and ice ($110). Buying the right clothing for the outdoor exercise enthusiast makes a great gift.
Let it snow: lightweight New Balance boot with soles designed for slippery conditions
Numbers on the run: Garmin Forerunner 610
Dressing in layers is ideal for exercising outdoors in the winter, so consider hats, gloves, scarves and socks designed for the activity of choice. “Layers protect the exerciser from the elements while giving them the flexibility to remove layers if they become too warm,” Matthews says. Indoor exercisers who want a new strength-training tool will love the Century Dual Grip Medicine Ball, (in 8-, 12-, 16and 20-pound versions). The vinyl ball, which is filled with sand that shifts slightly as you grip and move it, tests muscles and coordination by combining the qualities of a medicine ball with the challenge of a sand bag ($25-$45, sporting goods stores). Consider purchasing training sessions with a local certified personal trainer for someone who prefers the indoors and is new to fitness. Matthews, a certified personal trainer and yoga instructor, says working with a professional offers many benefits, “from learning the basics about fitness, such as how to perform exercises with proper form, to having a customized program developed by a qualified professional to help the individual reach his/her unique health and fitness goals.” Keeping cool while you’re working out can be a challenge and even a safety issue in extreme summer temperatures. Mission’s EnduraCool Instant Cooling Towel provides two hours of quick, chemical-free relief from the heat. Just wet the towel and snap it to lower the towel’s temperature to 59 degrees within a minute, whether you’re indoors or out. Wet again to re-activate. ($14.99/large size, sporting goods stores). Monitoring heart rate can be a great motivational tool for athletes. A chest
strap or a finger sensor allows the user to target a specific heart rate range in order to achieve the maximum benefit from a workout without overdoing it. Prices vary from around $60 to $400 or more, depending on the bells and whistles. Erik Hroncich, owner of Seattle-based EDGE Personal Training, recommends Garmin, Polar and Timex, popular brands with multiple versions. Garmin’s new Forerunner 610 has a touch-screen, wristwatchstyle system with GPS, heart rate monitor and the ability to wirelessly upload and track running routes and stats to a computer ($400, sporting goods stores and specialty shops).
Muscle madness From bike-riding Olympians to regular Joes out for a jog, athletes everywhere are wearing compression garments, skintight black sleeves and socks designed to squeeze and compress muscles and enhance performance. Now they’re available in a stylish pink, medical grade material from Cramer sports medicine products. Cramer’s Endurance Support System (ESS) sleeves promise to increase muscular blood flow and flush away painful lactic acid to allow quicker recovery and tougher workouts ($20 - $25 for calf, thigh, knee, arm and ankle, sporting goods stores).
Safety first If your kid’s already a jock but you just can’t get him or her to wear a protective mouth guard – essential to decreasing the risk of concussion and protecting teeth – try MoGo Sport’s new flavored mouth guards, which fit adults, too. They come in lemon, orange, mint, bubble