Searching for a gift? Here are some year-round “gifts of health”

There are many gifting occasions during the year: Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries – sometimes we just want to show our appreciation or love to someone. Consider these gifts that can help people focus on feeling good and establishing healthy habits.

Want to “gift” someone, but don’t know where to start?  Or are you being asked for a wish list and feel at a loss for ideas?  Here are some practical any time of the year suggestions for gift giving focusing on physical and emotional health:  

  • Gift certificate for a massage
  • Gift basket of healthy convenience foods (fruits and vegetables, whole grain crackers or pasta, low-salt canned soups or meats, quick-cooking brown rice, specialty coffee, tea or sugar-free beverages)
  • Pedometer
  • Certificate for household chores, furniture moving or decorating (and un-decorating) the house
  • Exercise video/DVD
  • Walking tape/CD
  • A gift of warmth (microwave heat pad, electric blanket, sweater, socks or slippers, gloves or scarf, couch throw, warm beverage packets)
  • Gift certificate for a fitness class or a class with Michigan State University Extension (perhaps the National Diabetes Prevention Program, Dining with Diabetes, PATH - Personal Action Towards Health, money management, landscaping or gardening?)
  • Walking shoes
  • Cushioned socks
  • Gift certificate for a day trip to a nearby location, lunch included
  • A relaxation basket, containing a meditation CD or relaxing DVD, notebook and special pen, puzzle book, scented hand or foot cream, bath salts or shower or shaving gel
  • Exercise clothes
  • A pass to a nearby swimming pool, walking track or skating rink
  • Healthy cookbook (there are some excellent cookbooks published by groups, such as the American Diabetes Association, the National Kidney Foundation, the American Heart Association, etc.)
  • A “wellness tracker,” containing a food and exercise journal and planning calendar
  • Reacher/grabber, to retrieve fallen items or those on tall shelves
  • Vegetable steamer (electric, microwave or stove-top)

Tis’ the season for giving, so be sure to pick out a useful and thoughtful gift for those who mean most.

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