There are always last a few people who are difficult to find meaningful gifts at this time of the year. Give your loved ones the gift of time, wellness and experiences!

For the Yoga Lover

For someone who takes a few yoga classes a week or regularly practices from home, a nice mat is a must. There is a mat out there for everyone! Having a thicker mat helps pad the feet and the knees. Your yoga mat should have good grip so you’re not sliding out of poses or having to hold poses with muscles unnecessarily. At our Oakville Physio and Wellness clinic we carry a mat from half moon that we love!

Other props all Yoga lovers could use are blocks and straps. Having your own props can enhance your practice at home or add to community classes that may not have props available.

Do you know someone who wants to try yoga but is self-conscious or nervous to jump into classes? A couple of private yoga / yoga therapy sessions would familiarize a person with the basics, provide any adaptions for certain movements and ensure that they’re doing it with the best for possible. We have this available at our Oakville Physio and Wellness clinic, but many local boutique style yoga studios would likely offer this as well.

For the Weight Lifter

People who love lifting weights and even competing, love lifting weights. Recovery and repair are vital to performance and help prevent injuries, but can sometimes take a back seat to training. Giving yoga classes focused on stretching and mobilizing are a great way to free up ranges of motion that may be limited by tight muscles. Massage Therapy is also a nice way to focus in on recovery for this active crowd!

Is your loved on looking to refine some technique? Training with a coach or group is a fantastic way to progress and ensure safe technique! Our friends at Radix Performance  in Oakville and Element in Mississauga are a great resource.

For the Runner

Running gear is always a something a runner loves, new shoes, compression socks, watches that track workouts are all great ideas. As with weightlifters, runners love running! Giving them a gift that helps add to this or supplement this is a fantastic idea. Even if you yourself are not a runner, participating in some recovery activity like a stretching class with them is a nice idea. Giving the gift of coaching is also of benefit. Training with a group and having a training plan can not only keep someone on track, but help with performance. Having a coach and plan ensures that you ramp up your training, and also have an “off” season to recover and repair. We work closely with Lions Valley Athletics in Oakville but there are running groups in most communities.

For the Hiker

A great pair of hiking boots or shoes is always an awesome gift for a hiker. A properly fitting pair will help prevent things like blisters and plantar fasciitis. Having a small pack that holds water will help keep your hiker hydrated . A pack that straps across the chest and stomach will help protect you back and shoulders.

Want a little more bang for your buck when hiking? Using hiking or nordic walking sticks can help use more core and upper extremity strength.

For the Team Sports Athlete

For a person focusing on a single sport, diversity is key! Offering different experiences such as a parks pass for hiking or recreation lessons in a different sport helps prevent burnout and adds to their physical literacy. Activities such as rock climbing, drop ins like boxing or swimming are great ways to move, but in a different way. These activities are excellent for everyone. As we get older there are less options in terms of team sports with regards to scheduling, keep moving and socially involved in these interesting activities.

For the Knitter  / Crafter

While kitting is excellent for maintaining manual dexterity and finding relaxation time, if someone has arthritis or achy joints they can feel stiff and tender at times. A great gift for this group would be heat packs specifically designed for hands or even paraffin wax baths. Dipping sore hands in heated paraffin wax is a nice treat for stiff and sore joints. Make sure prior to using any heat a persons hands have full sensation to prevent burns.

 

The team at Palermo Physio and Wellness Centre wishes you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season.