In This Series
- Christmas Gift Ideas
- Gifts For Runners
- Gifts For Cyclists
- Gifts For Gym-Goers
- Gifts For Swimmers
- Grooming Gift Sets
- Experience Days
From the feet-saving shower sliders to the latest in self-stirring protein shaker technology, take a look and find something brilliant to whack under your fit friend or family member’s tree this year.
Because nobody needs to make friends with a foot fungus in the shower, do they?
Buy on Sports Direct | £13.49 | More of the best sliders
Instead of a novelty pair of festive boxers, give someone these tremendous trunks instead. They’ll be grateful every time they power through a workout in complete comfort, thanks to the breathable, sweat-wicking fabric used helping to prevent chafing. The Elite Trunks are ideal for particularly high-octane sweaty gym workouts and running, when cotton boxers just aren’t up to the job even if they do have Santa Claus on them.
Buy from JD Sports | From £18 | More sports underwear
Even if they already own a wardrobe full of gym T-shirts, no regular gym-goer will be unhappy to unwrap a brand new one. The Gymshark Vital comes in a range of colours to suit all tastes, and it packs in all the technical excellence you require from a sports top, with wicking fabrics and a comfortable, stretchy fit that allows you to power through your workout unhindered by your attire.
Buy from Gymshark | £25 | More of the best gym T-shirts
The downside to buying these weights as a Christmas gift is that you will have to collect and wrap a 20kg box and then place it under the tree. It will also be fairly obvious what it is when your giftee picks up the gift to open it and almost puts their back out. Fortunately there’s an even bigger upside, which are durable, dare we say a little stylish, and ideal for maintaining your muscles at home. If 20kg is too much, there’s also a 15kg set available, and if 20kg is nowhere near enough, it’s easy to buy more plates from the Argos Opti range that will fit the handles. They go up to a max of 35kg each handle, which will more than suffice assuming you’re not celebrating Christmas with the Incredible Hulk.
Buy from Argos | £32.99 | More of the best dumbbells
This nifty bag offers an unusual solution to your gym-goer’s kit storage needs: it’s a six-litre cube that fits inside another bag to act as a mini closet for all your sweaty gear. The main compartment of the cube is divided into two zippered pockets, and it also has a loop on the outside that lets you attach it to your main rucksack if there’s no room inside.
Buy from Patagonia | £35
You know what people who go to the gym also do? Shower. A lot. More than a regular person because they get sweatier than a regular person, so they need a lot of body wash and shampoo. Satisfy this need with not one but two hair and body washes, plus a bar of soap, as well as two body sprays. So much you’ll need to buy a bag to tote them around in… and funnily enough it all comes in a smart Jack Wills-branded nylon duffle.
Buy from Boots | £45 (currently reduced to £22.50) | More great gym bags
Sturdy, practical and stylish, this drawstring bag is the ideal gift for any gym-goer still lugging around the smelly sports bag they used at school. And big laughs are guaranteed when your giftee unwraps a gym bag made by a brand called Jim Bag, because if you can’t enjoy a good pun on Christmas Day, when can you?
Buy from Jim Bag | £37.99
Free plastic protein shakers are ten a penny so if you’re looking to give one, go big or go get something else for the protein powder pounder in your life. The PROMiXX MiiXR+ PLUS certainly fits the definition of going big, since it’s a shaker laden with tech, including a removable and rechargeable motor that powers the micronutrient-preserving X-Blade to mix your shake in seconds. However, the real surprise feature is the USB socket on the bottom of the shaker, which you can use to charge your smartphone and other accessories. A single device that can blitz your shake and charge your phone in the changing room – now that’s something a free plastic shaker can’t do.
Buy from Amazon | £49.99 (currently reduced to £44.99)
That’s right – even skipping ropes are smart these days. The Tangram Smart Rope will count your jumps and calories burned and tell you how long you work out for, and it displays your stats mid-session through the LEDs built into the rope. The Tangram can also gauge your level of fitness and recommend interval workouts to try via a partner app. It’s impressive stuff, although we’re not sure anyone’s self-esteem could recover from being labelled a beginner by a smartarse jump rope.
Buy on Amazon | £69.99
See related
- The Best Christmas Gifts For Runners
- Great Gifts For Cyclists
- The Best Experience Days That Make Great Gifts
You don’t need dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell for a top-quality strength workout at home – you just need TRX ropes and something sturdy to attach them to. This lighter, portable (and cheaper than the standard) set comes with the ropes, two anchoring methods and two home workouts to try. And once you’ve gone through those, may we humbly suggest our selection of excellent TRX workouts as a next step?
Buy on Amazon | £106.95 | More of the best suspension trainers
If your giftee is still training in normal shoes, give them the gift of instant gains: a pair of proper gym trainers like the Metcon 7 will improve their performance in any kind of workout. The wide heel provides a stable base for weightlifting, while the React cushioning in the midsole is the same foam Nike uses in some of its running shoes – it adds comfort to cardio workouts and helps protect the body during HIIT seasons that involve lots of jumping around.
Buy from Nike | £114.95 | More of the best gym trainers
The German sportswear giant has hooked up with Scandinavian audio brand Urbanears to birth these nigh-on perfect on-ear cans. The RPT-01s boast a secure fit so they’ll stay put while you sweat, and the eye-catching knitted monochrome fabric can be removed and chucked in the washing machine. The sound is beefy and can be customised in the companion app to suit your preferred genre, while a multi-directional button on the back of the right ear means you’ll never have to reach for your phone to pause, skip or change the volume. But the thing we love the most is the 40 hours of battery life and insanely quick charging.
Buy from Adidas | £119.99 | More of the best gym headphones
A set of dumbbells might not seem like the most exciting present, but these will set up the recipient for life – plus you’ll be spending £500 for a pair so you can reasonably expect eternal gratitude. These dumbbells cost so much because they’re the equivalent of a complete rack of dumbbells, offering 15 weights between 2kg and 24kg. Simply turn a dial when a dumbbell is in its base to add and remove plates. These were sold out for almost the entirety of 2020, making them an especially good get, and besides your options are restricted because most other dumbbells are sold out at the moment too.
Buy on Amazon | £249 for one | More of the best dumbbells
If the person you’re buying for wants to spread their fitness wings, gift them some credit on Classpass, which they can use to attend all types of boutique gyms and fitness classes in London, Bristol, Brighton, Edinburgh or Manchester. It’s especially good if that person doesn’t work a nine-to-five or likes to make last-minute bookings, because Classpass uses dynamic pricing, helping them make the gift go even further.
