Some ways to give the gift of better health

‘Tis the season to spread holiday cheer with thoughtful gifts for your family and friends. This year, why not think outside of that neatly wrapped box by treating your friends and family to a healthy holiday gift?

“Most days it seems like we’re so busy taking care of everyone else, that we forget to make time for our own needs. By gifting tools to stay healthy, you can help loved ones take a moment to focus on themselves so they can stay healthy and be there for all the people who count on them,” says Dr. Jennette Berry, a family medicine physician at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, IL.

To help get you started, here are some healthy gift ideas for everyone on your nice list:

Healthy food subscription: Your loved ones would love to make a healthy dinner every night for their families. However, between working and shuffling the kids to all their activities, finding time to cook ranks low on the priority list. Food subscriptions offer a variety of healthy meal options that take care of the meal planning, shopping and prepping — leaving plenty of time to cook the meal.

Fitness tracker: From counting steps and calories to tracking health data and quality of sleep, fitness trackers are a great way for your family and friends to log their progress toward health goals.

Me time: Help your bestie carve out some time for self-care with a gift subscription to a meditation app or a basket of goodies to do a spa day at home. You can even offer to watch the kids for the afternoon as long as she promises to spend the time taking care of herself and not catching up on laundry.

Swag for the gym: Inspire co-workers to use their gym membership with some fun items to stash in their gym bag, such as wireless ear buds for listening to podcasts on the treadmill, a new yoga mat and foam rollers to help sore muscles after a workout.

Carbon monoxide detector: People tend to have working smoke detectors, but they shouldn’t forget carbon monoxide detectors. These devices can help prevent deaths by detecting carbon monoxide — a colorless and odorless gas.