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Whenever the holiday season arrives or a birthday comes, we want to show the loved ones in our lives that we appreciate them. We try to get them gifts based on their interests to show we’ve been paying attention and that we truly care about them.
However, not every interest or hobby is equal. Some fitness hobbies can be downright expensive; still, there are plenty of pieces of fitness equipment that are affordable—even a bargain. For those who are looking for gifts to show you care, but that are a little cheaper than the best Lululemon shorts, here we’ve compiled our gift guide for the best fitness gifts under $25. Read on to find out how to show you care and still keep to your budget this holiday season.
Strength Training Gifts
Best Wrist Wraps
Gymreapers Wrist Wraps
These 18-inch long wrist wraps from Gymreapers can be a great gift for someone who likes to lift weights. These wrist wraps are made of reinforced materials for extra support during weightlifting. Additionally, these wraps come in nine colors, so you can stand out in the gym.
Best Knee Wraps
Element 26 Knee Wraps
Currently on sale, these hypoallergenic knee wraps are a great gift for any occasion, no matter what type of training your loved one does. These wraps are stretchy, letting you adjust the level of tightness to the workout. Keep them loose for lighter workouts or tighten them for a max out.
Best Slam Ball
Yes4All Slam Ball
If your loved one just lifts things up and puts them back down, consider this slam ball as a gift option. Coming in different colors and tread patterns, this slam ball can be a colorful addition to their home gym. Plus, these slam balls are as heavy as 40 pounds (for more money, though).
Best Ab Roller
REP Fitness Ab Roller
Looking to get the gym goer in your life a challenging piece of equipment? Get your loved one this ab wheel for some challenging core exercises, packed into a one-pound roller that fits in their gym bag. With grippy handles and durable tread, this roller will last through many home workouts.
Best Lifting Chalk
Rogue Gym Chalk
For the home gym user who doesn’t mind leaving a bit of chalk on a stainless steel bar, there’s Rogue Gym Chalk. This block chalk provides great grip for weightlifting and bodyweight exercises on gymnastic rings. You get an entire pound for just $17; that’ll last for months.
Best Lifting Straps
Bear Grips Lifting Straps
These lifting straps are comfortable and grippy for the weightlifter in your life who wants to pick up heavy barbells. With neoprene padding on the wrists, these straps also have a silicone texture to prevent slipping while exercising. Plus, they come in plenty of different colors.
Cardio Exercise Gifts
Best Jump Rope
WOD Nation High Speed Jump Rope
Coming in five different colors, these speed ropes from WOD Nation are great for any cardio workout. The rope is 10 feet long, but can be adjusted and cut to fit your loved one’s height and preference. The rope spins smooth and the handles have a slight knurl to prevent slipping.
Best Calf Compression
Rymora Calf Compression Sleeves
If your loved one is a runner and deals with shin splints and other aches and pains, then Rymora leg compression sleeves are a great fit this holiday season, or whenever a special occasion occurs. And I’m serious about “great fit:” these range in size from XS to XXL, which is sure to cover most athletes’ calves.
Best Water Bottle
Amphipod Running Water Bottle
Don’t let your running friend leave for their next trail run empty-handed; get them this water bottle, with a soft, adjustable hand strap and built-in running gel slots. Available in pink or green, this bottle is BPA-free, and also holds up to 16 ounces of fluid.
Best Running Socks
Smartwool Run Ankle Socks
These socks are perfect for the loved one on the move. Made with merino wool, these running socks are naturally odor-resistant and help regulate temperature. With extra cushion on the high-impact areas of the heel and toes, these socks are highly engineered and backed with a lifetime warranty.
Best Running Belt
SPIbelt
Step aside, fanny packs: We’ve got an innovative alternative as the next gift for your loved one. The SPIbelt is made to hold smartphones, keys, cards, money, fitness trackers—all while wrapped around your waist. This running belt is designed to not bounce during your run, either.
Best Running Gel
GU Liquid Energy Packets
These running gels are ready-to-go bursts of energy and hydration, used during longer runs. GU Liquid Energy comes in five different flavors and with or without caffeine. This third-party tested supplement is also vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Gifts for Calisthenics
Best Loop Resistance Bands
Fit Simplify Loop Exercise Bands
Fit Simplify Loop Bands come in a set of five bands, and can provide the fitness lover in your life with up to 74 pounds of resistance. Small and portable, the loop bands come with a carrying case as well. These are the ideal addition to any gym fanatic’s warm-up routine.
Best Exercise Mat
Rogue Yoga Mat
This Exercise Mat is made of a textured, non-slip PVC foam, and is perfect for yoga, pilates, and other calisthenics. Thin and lightweight, this yoga mat rolls up for easy transport, so your loved one can take it from one fitness class to the other.
Fitness Accessories
Best Earbuds
JLab Go Air Pop Wireless Earbuds
Great for hikers, cyclists, and gym-goers alike, these budget-friendly earbuds will last for over eight hours, plus an extra 32 hours from a charged case. Coming in eight cool colors, these Bluetooth earbuds are sleek and have an in-ear fit sure to stay secured during a long workout or hike.
Best Hip Circle
Mark Bell Sling Shot Hip Circle
Active dads and others will like the Mark Bell Sling Shot as a gift. Made of a durable fabric, this hip circle will help activate your glutes and hip flexors prior to your workout. This hip circle slides on the hips easily and doesn’t slip off during your exercising.
Best Foam Roller
Amazon Basics High-Density Foam Roller
Start your next at-home workout with mobility work on this foam roller from Amazon Basics. Coming in three different lengths—18, 24, or 36 inches—this foam roller will help massage sore muscles before or after workouts. Molded with foam, this roller is firm and will keep its shape, too.
Fitness Apparel
Best Leggings
The Gym People Running Leggings
Give the runner in your life these women’s leggings from The Gym People. The perfect holiday gift, these leggings come in an array of different colors and patterns, sure to fit your loved one’s style. Also, with sizes all the way to 3XL, you’re sure to find the right size for her.
Best Training Socks
Stance Performance Crew Socks
For a unique gift that’ll match your loved one’s personality, go with Stance socks. Providing a multitude of colorway options, each pair is sleek and able to match their activewear easily. Made with performance in mind, these socks are also breathable and have targeted cushioning.
Best Workout Gloves
Ihuan Breathable Fingerless Workout Gloves
Before your gym friend’s next fitness class, get them a pair of Ihuan Workout Gloves. These unisex gloves are breathable with a cushioned padding on the palm to protect the hands and also maintain a good grip on a barbell, dumbbell, or pull-up bar.
Supplement Gifts
Best Creatine
Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate
This Nutricost product offers 5 grams per serving of the most studied supplement on the market: creatine monohydrate. Shown to help increase muscle mass, creatine is the perfect gift to give to the fitness enthusiast in your life. It’s also third-party tested, so your loved one can feel safe taking this.
Best Pre-Workout
Cellucor C4
When they take C4 half an hour before their workout, they’ll feel energized and ready to hit a new PR. Coming in seven sugar-free flavors, this pre-workout mixes well and is packed with powerful ingredients. Also, not only is a subscription under $25, but the cost per serving is also low for pre-workouts.
Best BCAAs
XTEND Original BCAA Powder
If you have a family member who competes in sports, XTEND BCAA Powder is great to support post-workout recovery. This sugar-free powder contains 7 grams of branched-chain amino acids, along with electrolytes for hydration. Plus, this is third-party tested and free from banned substances.
Best Protein Bar
Quest Nutrition Bars
With more delicious flavors than you can count on your fingers, Quest Bars are a great gift for the fitness fanatic with a bit of a sweet tooth. With around 20 grams of protein per bar (depending on the flavor), your loved one can snack on these low-carb stocking stuffers guilt-free.
Best Electrolyte
Propel Electrolyte Powder Packets
Throw a packet of Propel into a water bottle and get a boost of Gatorade electrolytes and vitamins, helpful for hydration during long workouts. Available in six flavors, this sugar-free electrolyte drink is pretty tasty as well, and doesn’t contain any artificial flavoring.
Best Multivitamin
Transparent Labs Multivitamin
This multivitamin contains an array of vitamins and minerals, including nootropics, which help brain function. With a subscription, each bottle clocks in at $27 (give us a break, OK?!).
Other Gift Ideas for Budget Fitness Gifts
If you’re still looking for inspiration for the perfect gift for the fitness enthusiast in your life, here are some more ideas for gifts keeping budget in mind. While not every item in these lists is inexpensive, and most are not under $25, most of our best-in-class roundups have budget-friendly options. Looking through here, you’re sure to find something that suits the fitness lover you know without breaking the bank.
What to Look for in Fitness Gifts
When you’re looking for the perfect gift for your loved one, there are a couple things to consider, both for your sake and your loved one’s sake.
Budget
The first thing to look at is what your budget is—how much money can you work with? What is considered a budget price for a piece of equipment will depend largely on what kind of equipment it is. The price of a budget-friendly functional trainer will differ greatly from a budget-friendly slam ball. The amount of money you have to spend for your loved one will determine what sort of gift you’re looking at.
Interest
It’s important to know what fitness interests the fitness enthusiast in your life has. If they weightlift, then it probably isn’t a good idea to get them the best running shoes you can find. In a similar way, a runner or cyclist won’t get as much out of a cable machine, unless they resistance train as well.
Sizing
If you’re looking at apparel or support gear, it’s a good idea to know your loved one’s size. This is where you can be sly and ask a quick question in the middle of a conversation, or you can be sneaky and snoop around through their closet wardrobe. Either way, you run the risk of being found out, so be careful! As a less risky method, maybe ask a mutual friend if they know, too.
Footprint
Fitness equipment can range from large, bulky squat racks to small and compact exercise equipment. Before getting the largest home gym you can find, you might need to think about the space you have to work with. If your loved one doesn’t have a large garage gym, then some smaller equipment or apparel might be a viable option. If you have the space for it, then you can think about treadmills, barbells and plates, or power racks.
Fitness Gifts Under $25 FAQs
What is a good gift for someone who is interested in fitness?
There are many great options for gifts for a fitness enthusiast. Some questions to ask yourself to help narrow down your choices would be to know your friend’s interests: Are they more of a weightlifter, or do they prefer cardio workouts?
After learning about their interests, it’s good to consider how much space your friend might have for gym equipment. If space is limited, then smaller support gear, like wrist wraps or knee sleeves, would be ideal. Apparel like cross-training shoes or workout shorts are great options as well.
What are some fitness gifts that are under $25?
There are many fitness-related gifts that fall under $25, but some of the more common gifts would be support gear, apparel, or supplements. Support gear would be aids for training, like lifting straps, workout gloves, or lifting chalk. Apparel under $25 would include socks, some workout shorts and leggings, and T-shirts. Finally, supplement prices can range from high to low, but there are many value-priced supplement options for protein, creatine, and pre-workout.
What to gift people who go to the gym?
If you have a gym goer in your life, there are many things you can get them for the gym. Weightlifting shoes, other apparel, and support gear like wrist wraps, are all great things they can use at the gym; plus, they’re easy to carry to and from the gym in a simple gym bag.
Further reading
Check out this Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX-3 review to learn about a compact bike that won’t break the bank. Read more
The best natural pre-workout supplements give you a pump and an energy boost without artificial ingredients and sweeteners. Read more
Are you looking for the best gluten-free meal delivery service? Our handy guide is here to help! Read more
Check out our ProForm Carbon T7 treadmill review for an in-depth look at a budget-friendly machine with interactive programming capabilities. Read more