Holiday Gifts for Walkers
By Susan Rich
Seasons change, but your commitment to staying fit doesn’t have to. Walkers can steal a page out of the postal worker’s manual and create their own fitness mantra: “Neither rain nor snow nor sleet will keep me from exercising.” The goal is to keep moving, whether you brave the elements for a walk in the wind and rain, trod on a treadmill, or shift your focus to yoga or other kinds of strength training. To speed you on your way, Walk About has chosen the following gift ideas to keep you, or the inveterate walker in your life, motivated.
| How Fast Are You Going?
TechTrail recently launched an updated line of chronograph watches, tailored specifically for the fitness needs of men and women.
With its trim design, petite watch face, and lightweight steel-mesh wire band for enhanced strength, the TechTrail Enduro Mini is designed specifically for women. For men, the Max and Compass offer similar features, but with a slightly more rugged appeal. All watches in this line offer the ability to track time and date with two time zones, 100 chrono 1/100 second resolution, 100 lap with 100 lap memory, a training log with best/average with total time segment, and more.
www.techtrail.com |
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Gift That Keeps on Giving, Night After Night?
There’s a reason why road crews are so visible during a rainy day, a foggy morning, or even a sunny afternoon: It’s their safety gear. Bright colors and flashing lights alert motorists that someone is standing by the side of the road. Whether you are walking your dog or coming off a poorly lit trail, you deserve the same attention. Now you can get it, with the LED vest made by Led Tronics, Inc. The vest is lined front and back with light bulbs that start blinking with the press of a button. A vest like this is mandatory for two-day relays, but it’s also designed to be worn over your winter coat, so you can wear it while Christmas caroling. There’s even an armband style that can double as a reflective collar for your pet or can cinch up your pant leg if you are cycling.
www.LEDtronics.com |
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Go for a Stroll With JoeyRoll
Next time you head out on a hike, bring along a JoeyRoll — a sport bottle and wallet combo designed to fit in the palm of your hand. The brightly colored unit allows you to carry water, keys, cell phone or iPod, energy bar, and ID in a cleverly designed package that converts to a sporty wallet if you leave the water bottle behind. The JoeyRoll is a safe way to keep track of your valuables and stay hydrated, for any outdoor activity. It’s also great for the gym. The JoeyRoll is the brainchild of Joey Carlisle, who came up with the idea while walking in the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” in Orange County, CA.
www.JoeyJean.com |
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Walkabout by Marmot®
This daypack is a must for the Walk About readers who put in those long miles in an urban setting as well as those that hit the trails. The pack is a medium size, all-purpose
lumbar pack with a removable shoulder strap for extra support. It comes in five great colors and weighs only 1lb-7oz. The pack features an outside organizer pocket which is a great place to stash small stuff. There are two one-liter bottle pockets. The external bungee attachment is great for stashing your jacket or other gear. A women’s hip belt is also available. Look for the Walkabout at your local outdoor gear store.
www.marmot.com |
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Sock It to ‘em
Socks, the time-honored and almost always disappointing Christmas gift, enter the realm of wanna-haves this year, especially when the choice is SmartWool. This year’s collection includes the Adrenaline sock, newly enhanced to offer three cushion options of light, medium, and heavy. The line is designed to withstand the most rigorous activities without sacrificing fit, form, or function. The sock comes in a variety of silhouettes and heights, and SmartWool’s SmartFit system means you don’t have to worry about socks that sag or bunch up in your shoes.
www.smartwool.com |
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Take Your iPod for a Walk
Maintain the tempo of your lifestyle with a hands-free iPod. Designed by Griffin Technology, creator of many iPod accessories, the “tempo” armband keeps your full-size iPod or nano safe while you are on the go. The armband is made of neoprene, so it’s lightweight and waterproof. The unit is machine washable, has a one-size-fits-all arm strap, a headphone cord wrap to take up slack, and features built-in iPod screen protection. It boasts a sleek, low profile design with reflective accents to ensure your visibility while out on the road. For greater listening pleasure, add a pair of Ear Thumps. These are designed to fit comfortably inside your ears, providing crystal clear audio while filtering out the sound of traffic.
www.griffintechnology.com |
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Do You Get Lost?
You won’t anymore if you invest in Trimble’s AllSport GPS technology, available on 17 Nextel and 10 Sprint phones. The product enables fitness enthusiasts to follow a secure, convenient, and inexpensive fitness program that tracks results and maps progress on a cell phone. It’s whiz-bang technology — perfect for the gear geek. Once you purchase the appropriate plan, the technology allows you to track your fitness activities and goals. For example, you can measure distance, time, speed, and calories burned; create a route trace and a speed and elevation profile; store workouts in a log on the phone; view weekly statistics to monitor your progress; download map images to the phone; and view yourself in real time on the map. For price and availability, contact your Sprint or Nextel provider. |
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Stay Warm; Look Cool
For those brisk fall days and cold winter nights, nothing beats bundling up with a matched set of hat, scarf, and gloves. A combination of thick and thin stripes adds to the playfulness of the Stripeuccino hat, glove, and scarf set from SmartWool. For a more urban look, the simple sophistication of a two-tone scarf and subtle color accents make the SoHo hat, glove, and scarf set ideal for a day of shopping or an evening out. Like the socks, these SmartWool products are made of 100% merino wool. Merino wool is a soft, pliable, natural fiber that wicks moisture and keeps you feeling warm and dry.
www.smartwool.com |
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It’s Getting “Ruff” Out There
Short days, dark nights mean limited visibility — both for you and your dog. Whether your journeys take you to campsites, dark forests, hiking trails, or city streets, RuffWear’s Lighted Lab Coat uses “glow in the park” technology to illuminate your dog. A distinctive blue light — that flashes or beams steady — is embedded in a ruggedly designed, lightweight, water-resistant nylon coat. One added bonus: The coat helps protect against the elements, keeping your dog warm and (somewhat) dry. The coat is available in all sizes.
www.ruffwear.com |
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Go Nordic
Every step you take can burn more calories and reduce your risk of joint injury when you are Nordic Walking. Long-popular in Norway and Finland, Nordic Walking is slowly catching on as a way to make the most out of every walk. This sport, which resembles cross-country skiing set against an urban backdrop, is proven to burn up to 40% more calories during your walk, reduces impact stress to your knee and lower joints, and reduces heel-strike force by up to 30%.
www.fittrek.com |
Give the Gift of Safety
The ultimate stocking stuffer: A Road ID gift card allows your active friend or family member to order a custom-made ID bracelet, necklace, or shoe pouch. Road ID provides personal information, emergency contact information, and drug allergies or other health information to ensure emergency care is received quickly and safely.To order, visit www.roadid.com |
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