The Gift of Health

Purchasing the perfect gift for a friend or family member can be tricky. You want to make sure it’s something that’s appreciated and useful, but also demonstrates you care about the person. Giving a gift that supports health can meet these goals. 

While some health-minded gifts can be budget-breakers, there are cost-effective options that can be just as impactful — including items like exercise balls or resistance bands — and can be used to work out at home.

“Exercise balls or resistance bands help improve core strength and flexibility,” says Bryan Wright, a physical therapist. “They're inexpensive, easy to store and suitable for all fitness levels. I've seen clients make great progress using them at home for just 15-20 minutes a day a few times a week.”

If the person you’re giving a gift to isn’t interested in working out alone or at home, try looking for opportunities to gift them an exercise class. Not only does a class offer them a chance to work with a trained professional, but it also offers a chance to meet new people and try a different activity.

“For a more personal gift, you could offer vouchers for private or group fitness classes,” Wright explains. “Yoga, tai chi and swim lessons provide social interaction and motivation. They introduce new skills under the guidance of a professional. Look for beginner-level classes to avoid intimidation.”

While exercise is an important part of maintaining or improving one’s health, so is healthy eating. Giving someone a healthy cookbook can make an ideal health-centered gift. Rather than making eating healthy seem like a chore, a cookbook can encourage new skills and make following a diet more fun.

“Cookbooks help in curating balanced meals right at home,” Wright says. “I recommend Mediterranean diet or anti-inflammatory-themed books based on medical research.”

Physical health isn’t the only form of wellness to take into consideration when gift-giving. It’s also important to focus on mental health. There are many gifts that can promote improved mental health, including items that can help the recipient develop a meditation or mindfulness practice, relieve stress and relax.

“Consider gifts like herbal teas that promote relaxation or a mindfulness journal to help with mental well-being,” says Marcus Smith, a licensed clinical professional counselor and executive director for Alpas Wellness. “A mindfulness journal helps people reflect and process their thoughts, reducing stress. A buckwheat meditation cushion is another thoughtful gift that combines comfort with the promotion of daily mindfulness practices.”

For some, talking about physical or mental health can be a sensitive subject, which might make giving a healthy gift an awkward scenario. But Wright says giving a gift centered on improving and maintaining health ultimately shows you care about the person who is receiving the gift.

“Health-inspired gifts show you care about someone's well-being,” Wright said. “However, for a few people comments about health could be misinterpreted.”

The best way to avoid a healthy gift being misinterpreted is to explain your intention behind the gift, according to Wright.

“Include a thoughtful note explaining your good intentions,” he says. “Focus on the benefits of an improved lifestyle and quality time together. With sensitivity, these kinds of useful gifts can be appreciated and help build closer relationships.”