The Holidays Are Just Around the Corner: 6 Family Sporty Gifts to Consider
The holidays are almost upon us and with them many important questions about gifts for loved ones. If you have a loved one who is sporty and enjoys outdoor recreation and fitness activities, here are 6 ideas to get you started.
Paddle Board
Stand up paddle boarding is an amazing sport and a must-try for anyone who enjoys physical fitness-promoting sports on the water. As with surfing, you stand on a board, but the board is longer and the idea is to paddle using an oar, typically through much calmer waters than with surfing.
For people who like a sport that helps them burn calories and build muscle, it’s hard to beat stand up paddle boarding.
While it’s probably true that your loved one is more likely to be enjoying stand up paddleboarding during the warmer months, that’s exactly why it’s such a great idea to go shop for them now: you can take advantage of sales, such as cyber Monday deals on stand up paddle boards, for example.
Duffel Bag or Backpack
Let’s face it, when it comes to outdoor recreation and sports, you can’t beat the duffel or the backpack – and if you can’t decide which one to pick, try a duffel backpack. A bag or backpack is the perfect thing for storing workout clothes, antiperspirants, and a water bottle for the gym – or, and depending on the bag or pack, carrying clothing and equipment for a backpacking trip.
Think about the person you’re gifting, think about their lifestyle, and choose a bag or pack accordingly. If they’re more the outdoors type, a nice backpack with lots of room and compartments might be the perfect thing. If they enjoy yoga, Zumba, and/or the gym, perhaps a nice duffel would be appropriate.
A Good Pair of Shoes
If your loved one engages in a sport or outdoor activity, a nice pair of shoes might be the perfect thing.
Take running, for example. Many people who run as part of their lifestyles go through shoes very quickly, so a nice pair that will last them reasonably long is likely to be a much-appreciated and -cherished gift. If you are buying for a runner, though, make sure that you get not only the size right, but also any brand preferences: for people who run multiple miles a day, shoe choice matters a great deal.
Alternatively, maybe your loved one prefers hiking. Again, shoes are a perfect gift: a good rugged pair of hiking shoes might be just the gift to make their holidays bright.
Golfing and tennis are other outdoor activities which, although not as intensive on the feet as running, still call for a good pair of shoes.
The beauty of this gift is that it can be comfortable, attractive, and very practical. Your loved one is likely to get a great deal out of their new shoes.
Water Bottle or Flask
A nice water bottle or flask can make a surprising difference in the quality of your loved one’s workout or hike. Being able to carry water in a durable, reliable flask or water bottle that is not prone to accidentally becoming unscrewed is a tremendous advantage for people who engage in these outdoor pursuits.
Plus, modern water bottles and flasks are remarkably sporty. Some of the colors and designs are very appealing, even as the bottles and flasks themselves are extremely functional.
A Great Hat
Outdoor sports and recreation are about more than functionality: they are also fundamentally about a sporty lifestyle.
We’ve talked before about cowboy hats, and they may be the perfect example of a hat that can be very functional, but which is also fundamentally about image and style. A person who wears a cowboy hat is proclaiming that they embody a certain standard of rugged masculinity associated in the American imagination with the Old West.
This same principle applies to many other hats. You might get your loved one anything from a sun hat to a baseball cap to a beanie, depending on who they are, what they like, and what they do.
Fitness Tracker
This one may go without saying, but if your loved one enjoys fitness, why not get them a fitness tracker? There are numerous brands that sell these devices, probably the most famous being the Fitbit.
A fitness tracker may not directly facilitate any fitness activity, but it is an excellent source of information about one’s progress – and sometimes knowing how much of a difference you are making for your health can be ample motivation to continue.
Conclusion
If you’re shopping for that special sporty person in your life, remember that sporty people are like all of us: they like things that mesh with their lifestyle, whether functionally or in terms of style or both. Hopefully, these 6 ideas have you off to a good start.