The Loop

Fitness Friday: 5 gift ideas for the holidays

December 12, 2014

Sure, you could buy the golfer in your life a new driver or dozen Pro V1s. But there are plenty of affordable fitness gifts that are great for golfers. Here are five gift recommendations to consider:

1. Barrel roller ($30, SKLZ.com): Soft-tissue manipulation, i.e. "foam rolling," is extremely important in terms of increasing mobility and muscle function, not to mention avoiding injuries. But it can also be extremely uncomfortable—like a Swedish massage on steroids. That's why SKLZ introduced rollers in various densities. For very sensitive muscle and tissue, you can use a soft roller. But as thing improve, you can switch to a harder-surfaced roller.

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2. Bosu ball($120, bosu.com): Still one of my favorite products for stability training. This physio-ball hybrid can be used for dozens of exercises and is portable enough to be stored under your bed. A great product for golfers just getting back into exercising, because it requires core stability in order to use properly. If you can strengthen your core, you now have the foundation for a better golf swing.

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3. PowerBlock dumbbells ($330, powerblock.com): Dumbbells are an essential tool for any workout routine, but they can take up a lot of space in your gym, garage or basement. PowerBlocks are adjustable-weight dumbbells, so you basically only need two. This particular set has a weight range between 5 and 40 pounds and replaces 15 sets of dumbbells.

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4. SuperFlex bands ($80, superflexfitness.com): This package comes with five looped bands of various resistance, among other goodies including an exercise program that details how to use the bands to improve your golf swing. The individual bands also are great for pre-round warm-ups because they are feather light and can be stored in your golf bag.

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5. The 10 Minute Cushion ($30, the10minutecushion.com): Kyphotic posture is a serious issue for golfers. The rounding of the spine in the form of the letter C stems from a number of things including prolonged sitting. But golfers need more flexion in their torso in order to swing the club properly. This foamed wedge helps improve posture and spinal mobility. The best part? All you have to do is lay on it.

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Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.