The Gift Detective » For Fitness Lovers

Travel Gifts – Part 3, SPIbelt

The Gift Detective — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:41:45 +0000

Your first thought might be, “That’s a fanny pack!” WAIT! Please read on because this certainly isn’t a fanny pack and I’m going to explain why the SPIbelt ($19.95) is a great gift…

Sleek & Discreet

The SPIbelt (Small, Personal Items belt) is not big or bulky like a fanny pack. In fact, unless you are wearing tight fitting clothes or really low-rise pants, people probably won’t even notice that you are wearing it – it’s profile is that slim.

I don’t want to mislead you though! Just because you’ll be able to carry your gear and still look hot, doesn’t mean you are going to have to sacrifice space. For me, the beauty of the SPIbelt isn’t just it’s discreet size; it stretches while compressing the items so no matter what you stuff in there, you aren’t going to be stuck with a bulky pack! It’s a bit magical and I’m probably going to have to create a YouTube video to do this little gem justice.

What can you fit into a SPIbelt?

My boyfriend was easily able to fit an iPod Touch, cell phone, keys and money into his new SPIbelt (a present for our upcoming trip to Santa Fe) and when strapped it on and you couldn’t see it under his shirt at all! (he was wearing jeans and a polo shirt that fit well but wasn’t tight)

I wear closer fitting clothing – low-rise jeans, yoga pants, etc. – and I packed my cell phone, keys, money and T pass into mine and it so discreet and small that you could barely notice it! (I love the colors that they offer but, if you really want it to be discreet, the black SPIbelt fits the bill!)

Of course, I knew this would be great for two things in particular – travel and exercise – so I strapped on my SPIbelt (with the items listed above in it) and took my dog for a run. Guess what? Not only does it fit all that stuff inside and not make me look like a dork, it also doesn’t bounce. Truly. This will be a much used item in my life when the weather is warmer and I’m wearing exercise clothing that doesn’t have pockets!

Bonus for dog owners: I could slip Isabelle’s leash loop through the belt before buckling it to create a hands free leash!

Alright, so now that I’ve proven how in love I am with this neat little product, I still need to let you know who on your gift list this is a good idea for:

* Men or women who want to travel and sightsee unencumbered - throw in your hotel key, money and ID and off you go!
* Fitness enthusiasts – a lot of exercise clothing is simple, form fitting and WITHOUT POCKETS, so this is a great gift for the runner, walker, biker, etc. that needs to keep some things close without affecting their workout
* Your favorite dog walker – again, warmer weather is coming, which means less pockets and this would be a great way to show your dog walker that you appreciate them by giving them something useful.
* A guy who has overloaded pockets – some guys have an iPod, cell phone, earphones, keys, etc. and no purse to stow all their gear! This is a great gift for that guy doesn’t want to carry a backpack or messenger bag but doesn’t want bulging pockets either.
* Anyone who has to have any medication handy at all times – someone who has diabetes or asthma, for instance, may need to keep insulin or an inhaler close at hand – great way to keep help them keep medication close while still being able to be discreet.

This is a useful gift for many and you can make this gift more personal in several ways. Think about your recipient and your budget and then consider some of these ideas…

Get it in their favorite color or accent color (black with colored zipper).

For a dog walker – enclose a mini-card that has a cash bonus in it or filled with small, useful items like great chapstick or refreshing towelettes.

For a child that needs to have medication with them at all times – give them a stylish way to keep it close at hand, pick a color or pattern that they will love or pick black to help them keep it more discreet – really think about what they would like most. After you pick the perfect belt, put some really fun, age appropriate item in it, a young child may like a small toy while an older child might like their first cell phone!

For the exercise enthusiast, make sure to choose the water and sweat resistant SPIbelt and then proceed to give them great headphones if they like to exercise with tunes, a pedometer, Nike + or something similar that they will love.

Want to give a little luxury? Wrap up an iPod Touch and slip it inside or for your man or woman who works out hard, include a gift certificate to an upscale spa for a massage.

There are so many more possible ways to personalize this! What are some things you would like to find in a SPIbelt if you were to receive this as a gift or things that you might put in it if you were to give it? Leave a comment and let me know!

Happy gifting!

Toy Tuesday: Wii Fit

The Gift Detective — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:01:09 +0000

The Wii Fit has been around for a while now, so you may be wondering why I’m just writing about it now…well, there are a few good reasons. 1. It first came out in 2007 when this site was yet to be born. 2. I don’t advise on what is merely popular, but what makes a good gift. 3. I hadn’t tried it yet!

$89.99 on Amazon, Click to Purchase this Great Gift!

Add to these three things that long hours sitting and blogging have added a little padding around my middle and well..I thought it was high time to both write about the Wii Fit, and start using it (huge thanks to my boyfriend for letting me borrow his system!!!).

The Wii Fit is like a having a fitness instructor and a toy all rolled into one. It is a solid, if more expensive, gift for a variety of people. More than just a game, it incorporates yoga, strength training, aerobics, balance games and even some motivation by way of encouraging you to “play” each day and tracking your progress with various graphs.

Even a really fit person is going to have fun with this, as evidenced by the group of people I had playing with…um, I mean testing it.

The balance games can be quite a challenge and, I speak from experience, it feels pretty good when you go from getting bopped in the head with pandas to suddenly getting your teammates to do a little dance around you after a successful soccer practice.

The Wii Fit is a great gift in and of itself but there are great accessory gifts for the Wii Fit if you want to give a gift to someone who already has it! Check out some of the many accessories below. Note – hover above or click an image below to see more info!

Amazon.com Widgets

Happy gifting!

Really? You didn’t find what you wanted on my blog? Well, feel free to contact me or check out the Google links below.

Fitness Gifts Series: Part 5

The Gift Detective — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:22:41 +0000

To See More Leslie Sansone DVDs, Click Here
Leslie Sansone is the walk at home expert. If you want to give a gift to someone who prefers to work out at home but they are just beginning a routine – getting one of Leslie’s DVDs is a great gift! If your grandparent loves to walk but just feels that he or she doesn’t get out enough, especially if they live in a climate or area that has extremes (too hot, too cold, too icy, unsafe neighborhood, too much traffic…) this is the gift that will enable them to walk without having to deal with the concerns of their environment.

Leslie’s DVDs are really tailored to anyone who has an interest in working out, and are so easily tailored to any fitness level. If you know anyone who wants to burn calories and reap the rewards of exercise, this is a great gift. All they need is just a tiny bit of space and a way to play a DVD and they are all set. No fancy equipment, nothing to set up – just pop it in and go. And the DVDs are really easy to follow and they really get your heart-rate pumping!

None of the DVDs are expensive so you could buy just one or may even be able to afford to give them a “set” so they can rotate their workouts. Either way, as one or many, your thoughtfulness – if you choose this gift for the right person (the person who would like to be able to “walk” in the comfort of their own home, minus the expensive treadmill) – is a gift in and of itself.

Happy Gifting!

Fitness Gifts Series: Part 4

The Gift Detective — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:04:22 +0000

You and your best friend work out together; your spouse is the one you try out fun new workouts with to keep each other motivated; your mom really is your best friend now and you talk about weight loss tips and new things you want to try – whoever your motivator is, the person who gets up and goes with you to the gym bright and early in the morning, even on the weekends, the person who shares and supports your endeavors to have a more healthy lifestyle…reward that person with a fun fitness gift!

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Gaiam Kettlenetics Slim and Tone Kit

I originally saw this new workout featured on ThisNext, then I also saw it on Amazon and Gaiam as well. I was intrigued so I researched a bit more and found a video with samples of the workout and the story behind how it was created here. (the best price when I last checked was at Amazon – no surprise there, right? – which is why I post so many links to them!)

No matter who your workout buddy is (unless of course it is your dog!), a gift like this would serve to remind them how much you appreciate them and how thankful you are to share the experience with them and the positive support you give one another.

A really fun way to give this present? You work out together right? Open the box and invite them over (or bring it to them) to do the workout together. Wrap up the empty box and when you guys are done working out and drinking your tea and having a post-workout chat, give them the box to unwrap and watch closely when they realize that you’ve introduced them to a fun new workout that they can keep.

You know your fitness friend pretty well so before you get this gift, consider whether it is really something that they would enjoy and be able to use, because not everybody who loves fitness and exercise will enjoy this particular type of program. This is the type of gift that will be most enjoyed by someone who likes cardio, body sculpting, two-in-one workouts with an element of dance. The recipient should also enjoy working out at home and enjoy workout DVDs for this to be considered a good gift for them.

Happy gifting!
~ Alyna

Fitness Gifts Series: Part 3

The Gift Detective — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:10:32 +0000

My Fitness Coach – Available Here!
A lot of people got on board with the Wii – then came Wii Fit, now there is the new thing people are raving about, My Fitness Coach. My Fitness Coach does not utilize the Wii Balance Board but does utilize equipment that the user may already have at home. It will do a very comprehensive profile of your recipients fitness level, including resting and active heart rates, and then recommends a goal, which can either be followed or they can choose their own goal. There are 480 different exercises so the user isn’t about to get bored with the same old workout day in and day out either.

Bottom line – if you want to give someone who loves to workout and loves their Wii a great gift, this is a great option. This is just under $20 so it is a gift that can fit into a lot of budgets too. For $20 you are giving the recipient a lot of different options to work out with and it incorporates the things they already have (for instance – free weights, balance ball, step) into the workouts that it designs for them so you really are not just getting them something similar to a DVD but something more akin to a coach. They’ll be able to track their progress and work toward different goals…

Remember this is a gift for someone who already loves to exercise. This isn’t a “gift” for the spouse you want to motivate to lose weight with you (your goal, not theirs) or to your kids who you think are inactive (plan more family activities and set a positive example!). This is something that you can give a spouse who loves motivation and can’t afford the time or cost of a personal trainer or for your friend who complains about being in a workout rut and would like to shake up their routine.

If you are giving this to someone who already has a lot of equipment you can just give them this “game” as a present, but, for someone you really want to spoil you can add to their arsenal of equipment by getting them items that will enhance their experience of this program. Either way you present it, it will be sure to please many a workout enthusiast!

Happy Gifting!
~ Alyna