Promoting health and well-being can be a unique and thoughtful way to celebrate the holiday season. This Christmas, consider swapping out traditional gifts for ones that inspire a healthier lifestyle.
HMRI Population Health researcher Dr Nicole Nathan shares her gift ideas to help you wrap up well-being and share the joy of health with your loved ones.

With Christmas fast approaching, the spirit of giving is in the air, and what better way to celebrate than by giving the gift of health to family and friends.

Promoting health and well-being can be a unique and thoughtful way to celebrate the holiday season. This Christmas, consider swapping out traditional gifts for ones that inspire a healthier lifestyle.

Dr Nicole Nathan, a health promotion manager and implementation scientist in HMRI’s Population Health research program, is passionate about encouraging people to make positive changes for their health. Nicole shares her Christmas gift ideas to help you wrap up well-being and share the joy of health with your loved ones.

Gift ideas for adults

• Recipe book or cooking classes: encourage healthy eating by buying a recipe book with nutritious meal ideas or consider cooking classes focused on preparing delicious and healthy meals.
• Fitness apps or online classes: there are loads of free or affordable fitness apps or online classes that promote physical activity. Many apps offer home workouts and require minimal or no equipment.
• Reusable water bottle: staying hydrated is essential for good health. A quality, reusable water bottle is a practical gift.
• Exercise gear: encourage physical activity with things like sneakers and activewear.
• Healthy snack basket: create a healthy snack basket with nuts, dried fruits, and other nutritious snacks.
• Fitness Tracker or Pedometer: a simple pedometer or a more advanced fitness tracker can help motivate individuals to monitor their daily activity levels.
• Yoga mat or resistance bands: support home workouts with basic fitness equipment like a yoga mat or resistance bands. These are cost-effective tools for strength training and flexibility exercises.

 Gift ideas for kids

• Outdoor sports equipment: encourage active play with items like a soccer ball, basketball, jump rope, or a frisbee. You can purchase these quite affordably.
• Healthy cooking kits: introduce kids to the joys of cooking with kits that allow them to create simple, healthy snacks or meals.
• Water bottles with fun designs
• Gardening kits for kids: foster an interest in gardening by giving kids kits to grow their own fruits, vegetables, or herbs. It’s a hands-on way to teach them about healthy food choices.
• The best gift however is the gift of time! Create a lucky dip with activities written on cards that the kids can choose from each day. This could include activities like going to the park or beach as a family, playing catch or kicking the ball, or simply going for a walk together. Involve the kids in listing the activities and then you will know there are things that they want to do.