5 travel gifts for the modern-day adventurer
Now more than ever, a healthy and active lifestyle can be tightly linked with the jet-setting life of avid travel. You’ve got your overseas Hyrox and marathon trips that are becoming increasingly common among fitness enthusiasts as well as gym memberships and fitness subscriptions extending to cities abroad. Traveling doesn’t need to be a throw-your-whole-routine-away endeavor anymore (and I’m totally glad for this).
This holiday season, surprise your friends and loved ones—especially those with lots of trips planned for the year ahead—with a few handy fitness companions that they can easily take on any of their global adventures.
1. Loosen up the knots with a collapsible foam roller
It’s easy to swear by foam rollers, as they’re a satisfying self-massager that’s really easy to manipulate once you know the basics. The only tough part about the exercise essentials is that they’re hard to carry around in their usual form, which is why collapsible foam rollers are such a game-changer.
Price: ~P2,000 to P2,500 (Shopee)
2. Recover harder with a portable massage gun
For intense athletes with much worse pain and fatigue, you’re going to want to give them something that takes their recovery up another notch. A percussion massage device, known better colloquially as a portable massage gun, hits those tired muscles really hard—thus providing that much-needed myofascial release in a better, more time-efficient way. It’s perfect for those who plan to do a lot of training and working out abroad, or even for simple activities like taking a stroll around the walkable cities.
Price: P12,990 (Dan’s PH)
3. Get in a great bodyweight workout
anywhere with a push-up board
It’s easy to build cardio and endurance with running and other movements, but building strength and muscle can be a bit tougher for those who don’t know what they’re doing. So try out a push–up board. The best part about them is that they teach push-up variations that hit different body parts when done in proper form.
Price: P100 to P200 (Lazada)
4. Build cardio fitness with smart jump ropes
For those who have to build up their cardiovascular fitness, but don’t want to or can’t go on runs wherever they’re headed, they can always do cardio in one spot—especially if they know how to jump rope!
A traditional jump rope with no frills is enough for a great workout, but if you want your recipient to upgrade their cardio with a little tech, check out this Smart Jump Rope from Xiaomi.
The “smart” part of it doesn’t really change the way people train. The biggest innovation is that they can switch out the rope with swinging balls if they’re either not good at skipping rope or need something quieter—but it does give some valuable insight on how they’re doing it via a mobile app, which can make travel workout programs more efficient as needed. Of course, who doesn’t love making the most of their exercise?
Price: P1,444 (Shopee)
5. Upgrade their fitness wearable setup with a smart ring
Smart watches and fitness bands are all the rage now because of their accessibility and widespread compatibility with any smartphone or tablet, but for those who need something a little more wearable anytime, anywhere, smart rings are the answer. While the technology itself is still in its relative infancy, they’ve come a long way to be reliable, especially when wearing a smart watch may not be so advisable.
Check out the Ultrahuman AIR—it tracks everything from heart rate and zones to circadian rhythm and sleep quality, your caffeine window, and even women’s menstrual cycle and ovulation, all viewable on Ultrahuman’s mobile app. The battery also lasts up to six days on a full charge, making sure you can keep wearing them as intended. (You’ll have to charge a watch every day, especially if you’re wearing it to bed—and wearing one to sleep isn’t really comfortable, either.)
This one is a bit more pricey than other smart rings in the market, but from personal experience, those unbranded smart rings do the bare minimum and aren’t often worth the minor investment.
Price: P25,499 (Shopee)
