Wishing You a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season!
Thursday, December 22, 2016 - 09:01
From our team to yours, wishing you all the best of the holidays and a Happy New Year! See you in 2017 when we celebrate Canada’s 150th!
The holidays are upon us and with it brings the season of giving. When we celebrate with friends and family, we share our generosity with a variety of presents from food and drink to electronics and toys. All those things that we’ve added to our lists of “wants” and “needs”. Through this season of gift giving, how can we encourage health and active living through our holiday gifts?
The holidays don’t have to mean overindulgence and the guilt that follows; check out some ideas for healthy active holiday gift giving:
- Going to a party? Bring a healthy dish to contribute to the food table, that way you know that there will always be a deliciously healthy option to snack on. Or contribute a light beer or low-calorie mixers (club soda, sparkling water or diet pop, etc.) to provide lower-calorie alternatives.
- For the teachers, neighbours or hostesses out there why not prepare and wrap up the dry ingredients for a healthy recipe (pancakes, whole-grain muffins, bean soup, yogurt-herb dip, trail mix, etc.). Don’t forget to write directions for preparation on a card to go with it.
- Why not give cooking classes or a cookbook to the budding chef. Try your local grocery store or community college for healthy cooking classes. Or even offer to teach someone how to make your best-loved healthy dish.
- Looking for budget friendly active options? What about giving a yoga mat, a music CD for exercising, a sport or fitness magazine, small weights, a pedometer (step counter), a swim goggles or an exercise ball.
- What parent or grandparent doesn’t enjoy thoughtful gifts from the children in their lives? A homemade coupon book can be filled with active options like: shovelling snow, helping with dinner, putting away the groceries, or going skating, walking or sledding together, etc.
- For the current sport enthusiast why not replace damaged or worn-out sports equipment or clothing? Try a gift card to a sporting goods store, or a personal training session.
- Looking to get the kids active? Try wrapping up a sled, balance bike, scooter, or interactive dance video game. Or how about swimming, skiing/snowboarding, or gymnastics lessons for the little athlete.
- For those who may be nursing an injury, why not try heating or cooling pads, foam rollers, or gift cards for a massage.
- And for the techies out there, there are a wide variety of electronics that will get them on the go like: fitness trackers, diet and fitness apps, GoPro cameras, a sports watch, music player or headphones.
Options for gift giving can suit all budgets, so there is no reason not to share the gift of health for those on your shopping list this year. Give it a try and reap the benefits all year round!!
For more of these and other healthy gift giving options check out the resources below:
Active for Life. 15 holiday gifts that promote holiday fun.
American Council on Exercise. Free Healthy Gifts for the Holidays.
Eat Right Ontario. Happy Healthy Holidays.
Kingston Integrated Healthcare. Healthy Gifts for the Holidays.
