This month we are going to list some gifts for the diabetic and your nondiabetic friends who exercise. This is also a good place to select gifts for you. We all love to add to our arsenals of equipment that we use on a daily basis. I have divided the gifts into large ones for the home gym and those that are portable and much more reasonable. Read on and you'll be able to "make those lists and check them twice".
Purchase a gift certificate for a membership at a health club. Think of one that is associated with a hospital if your gift is for someone who has medical conditions that may preclude them from being just another member in a high powered club. If you don't have such a facility, check that the clubs you have near by have programs for those who may need some extra attention. Call your local YMCA or YWCA to see what they offer. Water aerobics for those with balance problems, cardiac programs, and senior programs are all good signs, but do go and spend some time to see if they deliver what they say. Even if you are purchasing a membership for an adolescent, ask about the staff. What we don't want is a hypoglycemic reaction and no one around who understands.
For years I have shared my experiences about spas with my friends here on the net. I can tell you that a week at a beautiful spa would make me smile. There are many spas that are just a plane ride away; bonding with friends, your children or even your husband in a healthy beautiful setting is worth the cost. OK, you can't afford a week at the Golden Door, so why not a group of lessons at a private studio? I have taken ballet lessons for old timers who took ballet as a child and wanted to regain that flexibility. I have also taken Yoga lessons, Pilates, and marshal arts. Ball room dancing is also an option as is country and western. Some I liked more than others, but I gained from each.
Want a stocking stuffer? How about a ball. Of course it will have to be blown up, but they are wonderful for push-ups and sit-ups. They are also terrific for stretching. Buy an elastic band for resistance training or a jump rope for aerobic exercise whether on the road or home. I take one when I travel. Want to give a message gift? Give a mat and some blocks, some steps and a video, light weights and leg weights, and a really good exercise book or video. These body-sculpting equipments will give years of service.
Walking is one of the most popular exercises we know. Equipment is cheap: shoes and clothes. If you know someone who walks give them a pedometer. Get a book on walking as an exercise. Want to give a gift that will pay off for months: a gift certificate to a sports store for a warm-up or a pair of special shoes will be appreciated.
Golf is another popular sport. As I am writing this, my husband has decided to go back to this sport and one of his holiday gifts will be a series of lessons from a local pro. If he likes golf again, I guess the next big gift will be new clubs and all of the golf "stuff" that his friends on the links have.
When it comes to sports, this year we will be giving ski gear. I love to ski and even snow shoe. Ski clothing is always a good gift and for the diabetic a fanny pack to hold supplies is a must. Why the fanny pack? As a person who has diabetes, we all need to carry our glucometer, carbohydrate snacks, sugar pills, doctor's numbers and extra supplies, and any other things we need to control our blood glucose levels.
One gift anyone with diabetes needs and may not have is a small insulin holder that keeps insulin cool for hours. Mine has flown around the world and climbed a mountain in Canada. It has gone skiing, sailing and gone to tennis matches. Now that I have an insulin pump some of my toting of supplies is less complicated, but these carry cases are a wonderful addition to any diabetic's life.
A new workout outfit in a style that is comfortable is always welcome. For those of us who live in areas that have seasons, buying layers that can be taken off as we warm up are wonderful. I can share here that these clothes should wick perspiration away from the body. This is true for everything from socks to underwear.
When we diabetics exercise, we need to monitor our blood glucose levels. Why not give a new small monitor that will fit into that fanny pack? Today there are many brands, so look at the ADA yearly Diabetes Forecast addendum magazine that lists all supplies etc.
One thing very welcomed is a piece of jewelry that serves as a medical alert in case of an emergency. On this site I have shared some of the difficult situations I've been in when police were unawares that a diabetic can have insulin reactions and appear to be under the influence. I have a gold necklace that I always wear. It has my physician's phone number on the back as it does not link to a service. Bracelets are also available. Medic Alert has theirs at pharmacies. To tell the truth, these save lives, so if you know someone who has been recently diagnosed or who has just not gotten around to it, this is a caring gift and makes a stocking stuffer par excellence.
There are many books on the basics of diabetes that are excellent references we all need to have at home. These make possible knowing when there is an emergency that warrants a phone call to your team a necessity or when you can care for yourself. Especially when you are newly diagnosed, this is an excellent idea. Here on the site, we get 2,500,000-3,500,000 visitors a month, and many e-mail us with questions. Many of these are about how to eat/plan meals or what they can no longer eat. A good cook book would help even if you spend time here with our recipes. I love our books, but then we wrote them and put many months and years in each. The ADA has excellent books on understanding diabetes, the disease, as does Joslin. Go to your book store and leaf through these books. Find one that fits the age and understanding of the person to whom it will go.
Give a donation in your friend or relative's name to the charity of your choice. Some suggestions may be the ADA, JDF, American Heart Association or any hospital fund of your choice. Never think that your charity will not be as good as any we can come up with. It's the idea that counts. One proviso here though. If you give a monetary gift to a charity for a child or adolescent, also give them a "real" gift. Many children will not understand why they have to be different and not get a Barbie or play truck.
For the special person who has the room for a home gym and is very special indeed, why not invest in a treadmill? I know these are expensive and may take up room, but with one of these, there is no excuse about the weather when it comes to a walk. One word of advice and that is go to a store and look at the various machines. It appears easy to call a number after a TV commercial, but what you get may not be what you think you're getting. If you're home bound, go to the web site of a large sporting store that you trust, so if anything goes wrong you have recourse.
An exercise bike is a good choice for people whose balance is a bit off or who have difficulty standing. When my husband was recovering from major surgery, the exercise bike was his first step to regaining strength. He also added light weights and, after a bit began using the treadmill, holding on for safety. In the process, he now talks about adding more machines for strength as his muscle tone returns.
Some of our friends swear by cross-country ski machines. They work out muscles through out the body, but they do take some sense of balance. The ones at our club are very large so you may want to ask if the store where you shop has a good one with the extras you want, that can also fold or collapse for storage. If your friend has a home gym, this may be a moot question, but for the person who will be placing this in a bedroom, think about the size.
Home gyms come in different sizes with more or fewer stations. They are used for muscle building and body sculpting. They can be very large and again you will want to know that there is room and the desire for one of these machines. I can imagine the joy in the eyes of a teen or young adult who is into body building to find one of these under the tree. And, hey, don't forget the rest of us adults who love to workout.
Let's end with two more suggestions that you may want to look into. The first I take from my dear father, who sent me a membership to the ADA and JDF very soon after I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. At first I was angry like many people who are given the news that they have a chronic disease whose complications could be life-threatening. But, and here's the big but, those memberships helped me get past that initial shock. I became a Board member of the ADA and worked to educate other professionals and to raise money to make sure that children with diabetes have camps, and that diabetes education classes are available for people with diabetes.
My last suggestion is a great cookbook and there I would suggest one of ours. Why not? They are excellent and are based on our original premise, that the whole family should be able to eat together and enjoy excellent meals. When the first book, the gourmet one, came out and won the James Beard Award, my reward was the phone calls from people who shared that their diabetic son, daughter, father, husband, wife, etc. ate with the family for the first time. Some cried; others just said "Thanks", but that was more than enough for me.
That's my list for 2002. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know so we can add them to our next list. We love to hear from you and wish you and yours the happiest and healthiest of holiday seasons and the most fulfilling New Year that anyone can enjoy.
BSP
