Twelve Healthy And Fun Holiday Gifts

 

Fitness Gifts - Holiday Gifts - Cyber Monday - Jennifer Ledford - Certified Personal Trainer - Healthy Lifestyle Coach

Need great gifts for the people on your list that are interested in health and fitness but not sure what to buy? No worries! I’m here to help.

There are so many products available these days it can be a little difficult to choose just the right gift. To  keep things simple for you, I’ve made a list of twelve fitness and health-conscious gifts that are sure to please.  Based on my own personal experience, not everyone that’s interested in health and fitness wants something “gym” related so I stepped outside the box and added a little more variety than just your standard fitness gear.  🙂

Twelve Fitness and Health-Conscious Gifts

  1. Foam Roller. It’s hard to go wrong with a tool that can be used for self-massage, strength training, and stability work all in one neat little foam cylinder. These are available on Amazon’s website or you can find them at online fitness stores like Power Systems. I recommend purchasing the 36″ long by 6″ round because it is the most versatile. $18-$20

    AmazonBasics high-density foam roller - Fitness Gifts - Holiday Gifts - Cyber Monday - Jennifer Ledford - Certified Personal Trainer - Healthy Lifestyle Coach Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

  2. TRX Suspension Training System. This training tool has become a staple in the fitness world due to its effectiveness and the simple fact that you can use it anywhere. You can use it to stretch, build strength, increase endurance, improve stability, and develop a great looking physique. The TRX is suitable for beginner to advanced levels of fitness. The list price is $199.95 but since I’m a certified TRX trainer the company allows me to share a direct link with you that offers a $45 discount.  Whoo-hoo!  Click here for the discounted link.

    TRX HOME Suspension Trainer - Fitness Gifts - Holiday Gifts - Cyber Monday - Jennifer Ledford - Certified Personal Trainer - Healthy Lifestyle Coach

  3. Gift Cards. Gift cards for stores that sell active wear, cooking supplies, specialty groceries, and outdoor gear are all great presents for the active and/or nutrition-conscious person on your list.
  4. Sports-related gift certificates. A gift certificate for lessons to try a new activity or sport that someone has expressed interest in is super thoughtful and it could be the encouragement that helps them get started. If they already have a favorite sport, a gift certificate for usage fees, passes, supplies, or gear is a big hit as well.
  5. Fitness, Cooking, or Healthy Living Magazines. A subscription to a magazine is a simple and budget-friendly gift that keeps on giving all year long.  Before giving this type of gift make sure you have confirmed that your recipient has expressed an interest in “light” cooking magazines or magazines that feature health and weight loss.  I’ve seen this well-meaning gift taken the wrong way before.  The last thing you want is to offend the person you sent a gift to. I recommend staying away from the image-based magazines and sticking to the publications that are more health-focused than weight loss driven.
  6. Music. Gift cards or memberships to music sites like iTunes or Pandora are a nice way to help the exerciser on your list stay motivated by freshening up their playlist.
  7. Ready-made meals. Who wouldn’t want fresh meals delivered to their doorstep? It’s the next best thing to a personal chef and giving it as a gift could shoot you up into rockstar status. Munchery gets good reviews and they offer a wide variety of well-balanced and healthy meals. You can place your order the same day you’d like it delivered. Bonus!If the person on your list loves to cook but could do without the shopping, check out companies like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh.  They’ll send out pre-planned meals along with all of the ingredients and their easy-to-follow recipes.
  8. Wine or beer.  Yep, you read that right.  I recommend wine and/or beer.  Most people that are into good food like wine or craft beers.  My husband and I like to pick a few wineries or wine shops each year and make a tasting date out of our shopping trip.  Tasting it beforehand adds that special touch.  It allows you to share how much you enjoy the wine and why you’re excited to present it as a gift.
  9. Aprons.  This is a great gift for the person that spends a lot of time in the kitchen and likes to keep the food off of their clothing..  I wear an apron almost every night but for some reason I don’t always splurge for a new one so when I receive one as a gift, I’m thrilled.  Aprons are not just for the ladies.  Guys like to wear them too!  http://amzn.to/2fqbsk0
  10. Nice linens.  For the health-conscious person that likes to eat most of their meals at home, cloth napkins, fun dish towels, place mats. or tablecloths are all great gifts to help add a little ambience to the kitchen.
  11. Cheese plates.  Cheese plates aren’t just for entertaining.  We use ours for snack time.  A set of cheese plates is something your recipient will use for years to come. http://amzn.to/2fpu0Rw
  12. Exercise mat.  This a great gift for the home exerciser or the person that prefers to bring their own mat to the gym.  I even let our dogs use mine from time to time. 🙂  http://amzn.to/2gnd40c

Enjoy your shopping and holiday season!

With love,
Jennifer Ledford

 

Easy ways to maintain your weight during the holidays

Easy ways to maintain weight during the holidays by Jennifer Ledford

Thanksgiving is in just a few days and all of the Christmas catalogs are showing up on my doorstop.  For many, the holiday season is a time that is spent with family and friends feasting and enjoying seasonal foods.

One of the ways I maintain my weight is I do not restrict myself.  I maintain the mindset that I can do whatever I want when I want to.  By taking restrictions off of yourself you take away the scarcity which allows you to settle into a place of free will rather than some diet having authority over you.  If I know I can eat pie anytime I want to it’s not that big of a deal for me when they show up around the weekends.  I tend to lean toward more savory foods so by allowing myself to taste a little bit of everything, I can go back for the things I really enjoy .

This holiday season I want you to enjoy yourself and enter into it with a sense of peace around food.  I want you to have fun!

In today’s video I share one simple tip on how to approach food during the holiday season without depriving yourself.  Take a moment to watch it and have a wonderful Thanksgiving no matter how you decide to spend it.

I am thankful for you!

Shared with love,
Jennifer Ledford

 

How To Feel Comfortable With Your Body And Enjoy Your Life

Jennifer Ledford - Hawaii Vacation - Be Comfortable With Your Body Enjoy Your Life - Broken FootLast week my husband and I joined some of our close family for an amazing beach vacation in Kauai.  I have never been to Hawaii and it was such a special treat!

Some of you know that I broke my foot back in September.  It’s not completely healed and I’m still wearing a boot, which means I haven’t been able to exercise the way I normally do for several weeks.  I’m also pasty white right now because I didn’t hang out in the sun as much as I normally do this time of year.   I decided a spray tan was out due to the fact that I can’t stand very long on my broken foot without the boot.  The tan is  not worth interrupting the healing process.

Did the fact that I was a bit less toned and neon white mean I was going to hide under a cover up?  Heck no!  It’s Hawaii and I like to wear bikinis.  I also stopped caring what other people think about my body a long time ago.  If someone is shallow and doesn’t like my cellulite then they don’t have to look at it.  I’m not wearing my bathing suit for them.  I’m wearing it so I can play on the beach, get some sun on my body, and create fun memories.  Plain and simple.

One of the reasons a person will hire a personal trainer is to help them get ready for a special event or trip.  Beach vacations tend to be some of the most common trips that motivate people to want to lose weight.  For many people getting into a bathing suit and heading out to the beach can stir up all kinds of comparison and body shaming.  If they don’t look like a fitness or swimsuit model the client feels they shouldn’t get in a suit.   Or, if they do decide to put on a suit they believe they should  cover it up with other clothing.

The reality is most of us DON’T look like traditional swimsuit models, myself included.  I’m not willing to deprive and torture myself to get anywhere close to looking like most swimsuit models.  That’s just not my natural body type.  I have to do things that are physically and mentally unhealthy for me to get even close and I’m not willing to treat myself that way.

Losing weight for a trip can be a slippery slope that can lead to unhealthy restrictive dieting that is unsustainable and will only harm you in the long run.  Dieting robs you of your joy and keeps you from living in the present.  When we restrict ourselves in hopes of obtaining the “perfect” body that we think is accepted by society, we are setting ourselves up for potential failure.  Your body does not like to be deprived and restricted.  It will rebel against suffering and that is when binging can occur.

Treating Your Body Right

When you focus on eating plenty of food that you know is good for you and exercising for all of the right reasons, you will settle into your natural body weight and it will no longer be a struggle to maintain it.  However, I can honestly and personally share with you that if you continue to try to force something unnatural on your body, it becomes a prison.  Will the scale go up and down from time to time?  Sure it will.  That’s NORMAL.  It’s called life.

One of my favorite plus size models, Ashley Graham, shares this awesome insight on body image and self acceptance, “I felt free once I realized I was never going to fit the narrow mold that society wanted me to fit in.”  I totally agree with her because I felt the same freedom when I gave up on being a size too small and decided to focus on being the healthiest me I can be.

You don’t have to lose weight to put on a bathing suit or any other item of clothing.  Don’t ever allow the pressures of the diet culture  to cause you to miss out on having fun.  Be a rebel.  Love yourself no matter what size your bathing suit is.

And most importantly,  go out and LIVE!

Shared with love,
Jennifer