Top 10 Fitness Gifts For Xmas (On A Budget)

Ryan Dutton
20 hours ago
6 min read

A Christmas present special for gym lovers, runners & people who already own too many protein shakers

Let’s be honest.

Buying Christmas presents for someone who’s into fitness is a nightmare.

They already own six water bottles, twelve resistance bands, and enough gym wear to kit out a small CrossFit box.

So this week on the Fit Dads Podcast, Brad and I did everyone a favour.

We put together our Top 10 budget-friendly fitness gifts — the kind that are actually useful, don’t end up in a drawer by Boxing Day, and won’t have your bank account filing a missing persons report.

Think of this episode as:

Christmas morning for gym lovers
A panic-solver for last-minute shoppers
And a list that makes you look like you really get their fitness obsession

This one’s a stocking filler… in audio form.

Let’s unwrap it.

1. Over-Ear Headphones — The Ultimate Training Companion

If someone trains regularly and doesn’t have decent headphones, this is an instant win.

Over-ear headphones are ideal for:

Gym sessions
Treadmill runs
Zone-out cardio
Ignoring everyone else in the room

They’re comfortable, immersive, and block out enough noise to make even the busiest gym tolerable.

This is one of those gifts where spending a bit more gets a massive jump in quality — but there are plenty of solid budget options that still deliver great sound.

2. Fitness Trackers — Motivation on the Wrist

I’m not talking the latest garmin or Apple Watch, something more affordable. You can pick up a low end fit bit for around 70-80 quid.

But it’s a great way of getting someone who’s relatively new to fitness into the numbers.

I’ve been doing this a long time and have never been that bothered by fitness watches, but since getting one this year, I was surprises at how into I’ve been.

Constantly looking at where my step count for the day is.

Trying to decrease my fitness age.

Throwing in more intense sessions to improve my VO2 max.

It gives me little reminders throughout the day, to get up and move more, when I’ve been sedentary for too long.

They also gamify fitness to a certain degree and give you more insights into how healthy and active you actually are.

3. Angles90 Grips — A Small Gift with Big Payoff

Angles90 might not look flashy, but they punch well above their weight.

These little grips attach to cable machines or pull-up bars and allow your wrists and shoulders to move more naturally.

Brilliant for:

Pull-ups
Rows
Lat pulldowns
Anyone with cranky elbows or shoulders

They’re compact, affordable, and one of those gifts where the recipient says,“Didn’t know I needed these… but now I can’t train without them.”

4. Recovery/Fitness Vouchers — The Underrated MVP

Be bold and brave enough to buy them an experience.

It might be something they’ve shown interest in. Or something you think they might like.

Obviously if they’ve never trained before don’t buy them a ticket to Hyrox (not that you’d get one, they’re like gold dust at the moment).

But I’m thinking specially of a client who’s recently started doing sauna and ice baths.

Now this guy is probably one of the least fitness orientated people I know. Proper blokes bloke. Works in a steels works, Sheffield Wednesday home and away, used to sink 18 pints on a big match day.

But he’s addicted to that euphoric feeling when he goes and does these sauna and ice bath sessions.

So it got me thinking about how many other people would love this type of experience given the nudge.

Sauna and ice bath experiences seems to be popping up everywhere. But you could also go down the route of...

Sports massage
Reformer pilates
Acupuncture
Physio session

I'm guilty of only investing in my recovery when I'm a little beat up. But having a voucher on hand to boost my recovery more frequently would be a great gift in my eyes.

5. Figure-of-8 Lifting Straps — Grip Without the Hassle

For lifters, grip is often the limiting factor — not back strength.

Figure-of-8 straps are simple, effective, and perfect for:

Deadlifts
Heavy rows
Shrugs
Anyone whose grip gives up before their muscles do

They’re cheap, durable, and ideal as a stocking filler that actually gets used.

6. Weighted Vests — Old School, Brutal, Effective

We associate weighted vests with the hardcore lifters who want to add weight onto their dips and pull ups.

But walking in a weighted vest has some brilliant health benefits:

It increases calorie burn and metabolic demand whilst walking.
It engages muscles in the legs, core, back, great for people who might not be into weight lifting per-say.
And for the older generation it’s great at improving bone health, reducing osteoporosis.

It might seem like an unusual fitness gift to give, but from a health point of view, it’s one of the best.

They’re not as big and bulky as they used to be. You can get some discreet ones now that will go unnoticed underneath a coat or a hoody.

Weight wise, my advice would be 6-8kg for women, 8-10kg for men.

7. Resistance Bands — The Swiss Army Knife of Training

You can never have too many resistance bands.

They’re perfect for:

Warm-ups
Mobility
Rehab
Assistance work
Home workouts
Travel training

Light, cheap, versatile, and endlessly useful.

If you don’t know what to buy someone… buy bands.They’ll use them.

8. Habit Trackers & Calendars — Boring but Brilliant

This one surprised a few people. A habit tracker or training calendar isn’t exciting — but it’s powerful.

Writing things down:

Increases consistency
Improves awareness
Builds momentum

It turns “I’ll try” into “I did”.

We also chatted about the book “4000 Weeks”, which puts time, habits, and priorities into perspective in a way that hits harder the older you get.

This is the gift for the reflective gym-goer — the one who wants progress, not just pumps.

9. Protein Bundle

Most online supplement companies now do a protein bundle for xmas.

As a gym goer, what better way to start the new year, than knowing the build macro (protein), is all set for the next month.

For 30-40£ you can get a months worth of protein supplements, from bars, powders, clear whey all in a nicely packaged Christmas box.

Some of them even throw in stuff like creatine, vitamins and minerals and various other bits.

Great idea for some one looking the start the new year on the front foot.

10. Quick Fire Idea's

The protein bundle was something both Brad and I had crossed over on when it came to xmas gift ideas. So we thought we'd fo a quick fire of other potential gift ideas...

Blue light blocking glasses for improving sleep.
Blue light lamp to boost enegry/mood in the morning.
Running shoes voucher (sportshoes.com).
Electrolyte testing kit - Ideal for runners or people who sweat a lot during training to assess exactly how much salt they need to replenish.
Nasal strips to improve nose breathing.
Anti-blister socks - life saver for runners who are constantly getting them.
Day pass at a fancier local gym.
Foam roller/trigger point ball - Recovery essentials