Christmas Gift Guide 2016 – Gym Bunny

For the last two years I have put together quick gift guides for specific groups of people, generally those who are into their health and fitness, foodies and travellers. This year is no exception, it’s actually kind of cool to look back and see what I thought good gifts would be and see how those have changed (or not) with the passing time.

I’m putting this Christmas Gift Guide for the Gym Bunny out early as some of the items will be required to be ordered online and may take a week or so too arrive. I’ve tried to include gifts in all pricing levels, so even if you have to find a small Secret Santa gift for a Gym Bunny this Christmas I’ll have you covered!

In no particular order, here are some of the best gifts (in my opinion) for the gym bunny in your life this Christmas.

// 1 – Lacrosse Ball
Don’t worry this isn’t a sports specific gift, the recipient does not need to take up Lacrosse at all. A Lacrosse ball is actually a great self massage tool as it is nice and hard and the shape means it is able to get into smaller areas. You can get a Lacrosse Ball online from many places (just google for it) or in sporting goods stores, they will set you back about $10-$20.

// 2 – Shakti Mat
I’ve owned a Shakti Mat for about a year now, and I’ll be honest, I haven’t used it that often. However this isn’t the Mats fault, it’s my own. I get bored pretty easily so I need to find something I can do while on the Mat. I’ve recently brought it back to our house and have been using it whenever I remember. The premise of the Shakti mat is that you lye on it and the pressure points start to remove the tension in your body. You can purchase the mats online, I got mine on one of the deal website about 18 months ago.

// 3 – Gym Bag
Every gym bunny needs a gym bag, whilst they may already have one, it is almost a certainty that it will require replacing at some point in the near future. With the Sweaty goods that often get transported in your gym bag, we really should be replacing them each year. If not, options are always good! This Lulu Lemon gym bag is super cute ($109), however you can find a tonne more in lots of different price ranges, just check out places like The Warehouse, Kmart and Rebel Sport.

// 4 – Chalk
I’ve included Chalk on a Christmas Gift Guide before, and for good reason. It is super useful! I forgot how much a workout can suck when you are trying to lift heavy and don’t have chalk, and are using sub-par equipment. After some of the most frustrating workouts I’ve ever had in my life in USA, Chalk is well and truly near the top of the list of things you MUST have if you are wanting to lift heavy! The gym bunny in your life will thank you, trust me! You can find chalk at any outdoor equipment stores that sell rock climbing equipment – it’s often cheaper that way than going to a fitness store.

// 5 – Foam Roller
This year I’ve included a number of self massage related items, which is actually a surprise to me! I’ll admit I’ve never been the best at keeping up with my mobility and massage work and I can almost guarantee that there are a lot of people like me out there. Foam rollers can start from as little as $10 (check out The Warehouse or Kmart) and are perfect for rolling out the body before and after a workout as well as to help reduce DOMS on non-workout days.

// 6 – A7 Bar Grip Shirt
If the person you are shopping for uses Barbells and squats or does bench press then the A7 Bar Grip Shirt will be an awesome gift for them! Especially if their gym doesn’t allow chalk or they are using sub-par equipment (most commercial gyms!). The bar grip on the back of the T-shirts helps to grip to the bar or the bench and stops you from sliding all over the place, making training much more pleasant! You can purchase them online from A7 Oceania, there are heaps of colours and male and female specific tops.

What gym related item would you love to receive for Christmas this year?? – Comment and let me know, I love hearing from you!