There's nothing better than the gift of health. To that end, here's a look at some of the best health and wellness buys for the holiday season.
Gift Guide: Health Nut
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Plank
The Pills Yoga Mat, $85
If there's one thing I've learned from taking countless Scott Harig classes at Pure Yoga, it's that with yoga, there's nothing more important than integrity of form. Not only do Plank's mats look insanely cool, but unlike most mats, these encourage full contact because you have to create the grip (versus the typical mat which is designed to be grippy and therefore more easily encourages sloppy or lazy alignment).
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Spiritual Gangster
Any brand called Spiritual Gangster is bound to have a slew of awesome yogi fashion finds.
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Vitamix
5200 Standard, $449
Vitamix has amassed a cult following that includes foodies ranging from celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder to chef Alex Guarnaschelli. The far-from-average blender comes with a 64-ounce container allowing you to create everything from frozen drinks to warm soups (yes warm!) for multiple people in mere minutes. Best of all, the device is self-cleaning.
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Nike
Nike Lunar Swingtip, $130-$140
Clubs aside, it's all about the shoes when it comes to golf and it's near impossible to beat the understatedly sleek new Lunar Swingtips from Nike. Interestingly enough, these shoes were created with the input of skate and surf athletes, which explains the unique rubber-rim design that works just as well on or off the course.
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Newton
Lady Isaac, $149
I've run in a number of Newtons — a brand favored by celebrity fitness instructors including Joey Gonzalez and Simone de la Rue
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Natural Fitness
Foam Roller, $24.99
If there's one thing most people don't do enough of when it comes to working out, it's stretching. This foam roller comes with an instructional exercise chart to help alleviate tighteness in the legs, back, arms, and core.
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Lululemon
Lovenotes, free
Spread holiday sheer with these adorable notes.
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CaRanch
Canyon Ranch: Yoga for Strength & Energy, $14.99
Released just a few days ago, this DVD features two 20-minute yoga workouts specially designed to improve flexibility, increase stamina, and invigorate the body. The DVD also comes with a recipe booklet and bonus segments including an 11-minute cool down.
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adidas by Stella McCartney
Studio Short Sleeve Hoodie, $120
Odds are, if you make an effort to dress well when you go to the gym, you'll have more energy to work out (wearing raggedy old shirts doesn't tend to encourage the postive energy needed for optimal performance). It's hard to go wrong with anything from McCartney's line (and there are plenty of items now on sale!).
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Hospital for Special Surgery
Running Mechanics Profile, $320
How’s your form? Are you a heel-striker? Do you pronate? Are you in the right shoes? Is your running form putting you at risk for injury? These are the questions that will be answered during this hour-long test (see a segment on it here). I recently did it and found the insights to be invaluable. Among other things, I learned what I could do to prevent my ongoing hip pain, that I have to shorten my stride, and that I should switch to stability shoes (I've found the New Balance 1260v2 to be far and away the best for my pronating foot). More run tests at The Running Company confirmed my suspicions (somewhat to my dismay because I'm obsessed with how cool the Nike LunarGlide+4 looks).
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Leather Head
Handsome American Leather Football, $125
These retro-looking leather footballs are crafted from individually selected hides making each one unique.
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Moving Comfort
Developed in the brand's biomechanics lab, this comfortable sports bra features a seam-free interior, molded cups for shape and support, all over mesh for breathability, and adjustable cross back straps.
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Canyon Ranch
Canyon Ranch: Yoga for Strength & Energy, $14.99
Released just a few days ago, this DVD features two 20-minute yoga workouts specially designed to improve flexibility, increase stamina, and invigorate the body. The DVD also comes with a recipe booklet and bonus segments including an 11-minute cool down.
