Holiday Advice: How to Give a Fitness Gift Without Looking Like a Jerk


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I should preface this story by saying that my aunt is the queen of amazing Christmas gifts. Like, you might as well call her Mrs. Claus. That said, everyone has their off days. To wit: One dreadful Christmas Day, she gifted my mother a scale. And not just any scale—one of those enormous black and white doctor’s office scales that call to mind blood being drawn and heart-pressure being measured. Needless to say, upon spotting the present, there was a collective cringe. My mother didn’t even try to fake a smile, and the ill-fated gift sat in my aunt’s basement forever, gigantic red holiday bow untouched.

So when I saw Refinery 29’s recent piece, “How To Give A Fitness Gift (Without Getting The Side-Eye),”  I immediately thought to myself, This advice could have saved Christmas 15 years ago! The article provides some seriously helpful tips on how to gift a loved one some fitness swag without, well, totally pissing them off.

Suggestions include opting for a do-it-together fitness activity and sticking to fitness gear for activities you know they like. So, don’t buy your doggy-paddling cousin a pair of swimming goggles. And most importantly, remember that there are certain things that you just don’t buy for anyone, EVER. Scale included. To avoid making any embarrassing holiday gift blunders, check out the full list here. And for ideas for fitness gifts you family members will actually like, check out our Holiday Gift Guide over on Pinterest.