Christmas Stocking Stuffers | Home Fitness

Do you have a fitness junkie on your Christmas List? Do you have someone hoping for a fitness club membership for the New Year? Can you sense the New Years Resolution coming or do you want to encourage one? Here are some stocking stuffer ideas that may help you control some of the costs in these trying times; yet still support and encourage a fitness routine for your loved one or friend.

The fitness industry is a 17.6 Billion Dollar Industry that has doubled in size over the last 10 years. Over 42 million people are health club members across the United States, and the numbers are growing, (42 million still represents less than 10% of the population) according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).

In these tough recessionary times, a fitness club membership may be beyond what most folks can manage, but with obesity a growing national problem, (estimates range from 50-70 million and three times that many overweight) some element of a fitness program is more and more becoming a necessity. So here are some Stocking stuffer ideas that may pay off big for that special someone on your list.

Physical fitness training in the military, has been focused on body weight exercises since before World War I. There are several reasons for this not the least of which is that it is a cost effective system. The FitDeck Exercise cards are exactly that, Cost Effective, six weeks of these exercises just three days a week can make a significant difference in a persons weight loss program, and at a fraction of the cost of a fitness club membership. If you couple these exercises with a 30 minute walk you have a great and sustainable fitness program for life.

They offer a variety of fitness focuses as well that include bodyweight, junior, senior, yoga, pilates, stretches, and for you moms, both pre- and post- natal decks. If you want to add some tools they have booster packs of 26 cards for exercise balls, pull up bars, dumbbells, and kettelbells to name a few. Each card has three levels of expertise to accommodate beginners, intermediates, and advance fitness capabilities.

If you combine the master deck with one of it’s boosters you can shuffle and pick exercises at random to help avoid the humdrum of repetition that so often leads to program abandonment.

FitDeck also has an instructional DVD available, and comes in a handy plastic carrying case.

I got to meet Billy at FOB Abu Ghraib in 2005 when he was touring Iraq in support of the US Armed Forces. He is an accomplished Martial Arts Champion (over 30 International Gold Medals), actor, philanthropist, and an exceptional motivational speaker. He is the inventor of the Tae Bo work out system, and his videos offer great programs and solid motivation. His message is clear at the end of each video with the phrase, “You are where you are, because you put yourself there”

This form of martial arts dates back to the Chen family dynasty of the 9^th Century in China. It is considered a ‘soft martial art’ and it has many benefits both through its meditative forms and the slow focused movements. It is particularly useful for children and seniors as the stresses on developing and older joints is minimal, while still providing the aerobic and anaerobic benefits of a comprehensive exercise program.