By day, I’m Allure’s senior editor, writing and editing stories on the latest developments in the beauty industry. By night—and sometimes early the next morning—I’m at the gym. Exercising is one way I prioritize and invest in myself. Whether I’m going for a slow jog on the treadmill or sweating profusely at a HIIT class, being active clears my head and gives me a sense of accomplishment. (It feels so damn good finishing a workout.)
My colleagues share the sentiment, so we put together a list of the best gifts for your active friends, no matter where they are in their fitness journey. Maybe your pals are just getting into running (like me! It sucks, but I know something that might help). Perhaps they’re training for a marathon (Sarah Kinonen has the best sneakers for you.) Does your friend get nervous about Pilates classes? (Jen Hussein has a recommendation that might quell those fears.) Read on for more.
Need more gift-spiration? Check out our ultimate holiday gift guide for 2024.
Our Top Gifting Picks
Running: Garmin Forerunner 165
Jesa Marie Calaor
This watch has helped me, a novice runner, gain confidence as I train to run longer distances. It’s equipped with GPS to track speed, distance, and pace, as well as heart rate. While it has so many other features—recovery insights, indoor sports apps, and more—I’m not overwhelmed by its interface. (It’s easy to ignore all the other features I’m not ready to use yet in my training.) I recommend it to anyone just getting into running.
Running: Asics Magic Speed 4
Sarah Kinonen
“I’ve tried approximately 2,489,725 (give or take) pairs of sneakers while training,” says associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen, who is training for the New York City Marathon. She calls the Asics Magic Speed shoes the Goldilocks of sneakers. “They’re lightweight yet supportive enough to get me through 26.2 miles without aches or pains and come in really fun color combos (I have the blue-and-green pair)—I’m already planning my next pair!”
Dance: Girlfriend Collective Black Paloma Racerback Bra
Kara McGrath
“As a person with a DD cup size, I’m often asked for sports bra recommendations for bigger boobs and I’ve yet to receive any negative feedback on my go-to suggestion: Girlfriend Collective’s Paloma Racerback Bra,” says content director Kara McGrath, who says she wears it for cardio-heavy dance classes. “It comes in sizes XXS (29″ bust) to 6XL (60″ bust), tons of pretty colors. Best of all, it doesn’t have removable cups—an often-touted ‘feature’ of sports bras that I don’t think anyone actually wants. Basically, this bra is perfect and anyone on your list will love it.”
Pilates: Balanced Body Metro IQ Pilates Reformer
While commerce writer Jen Hussein enjoys Pilates, she’s not a fan of doing it in a group setting. She regularly uses the Balanced Body’s Metro IQ Pilates Reformer in her cozy New York City apartment. “I’ve seen so many at-home reformers on my FYP, but I promise you Balanced Body’s is much sturdier and higher quality than anything you’ll find on TikTok Shop,” she says. “The brand basically chopped off the legs of the average boutique class’s larger reformer machines and made them apartment-friendly. It still provides the same resistance, silent glide, and no-budge springs as a state-of-the-art boutique machine, but it’s compact enough to stow in my apartment’s living room, and it’s so light that my downstairs neighbors don’t hear any clanking or thumps as I do my thing.”
Pilates: Alo Pulse Grip Socks
Kinonen and I regularly attend SolidCore classes and while many opt to do the workout barefoot, we wear gripping socks to be extra secure in our footing. I love this pair by Alo, which keeps me grounded in my classes, pairs well with most of my workout wear, and looks great peaking out from my sneakers.
Pilates: Bala Bangles
Hussein has been focusing on building up my upper arm strength for quite some time and says that the Bala Bangles have been helping her get closer to that goal. “They come in different weights, the heaviest being three pounds, so they add just a little more fire to my pilates sessions without turning my bicep muscles into jelly,” she says. “Even when I’m not working out, I love to strap these weighted bangles on when taking care of daily tasks as added mini arm exercises throughout the day.”
Hot Yoga: Wolven Onyx Onesie
Talia Gutierrez, associate manager of special projects, says hot yoga has been one of her “fitness vices” and that she prioritizes workout wear that doesn’t suddenly turn see-through when she’s working up a sweat. Her favorite fit for a 90-minute hot yoga class is this onesie. “It’s thick enough that it’s not see-through,” she says. “It’s also stretchy and made from a breathable fabric that doesn’t give me an instant wedgie in the core-strengthening positions my Core Power instructors put me in.”
HIIT: Nike V2k Run Sneaker
Talia Gutierrez
“These Nike V2K are the comfiest shoes I own, giving me the pep in my step that I need for my weekly HIIT classes,” says Gutierrez, “I’m mindful about not straining my lower back and I like how these shoes have a nice arch and shock absorbing effect.” She adds that the silver and white colorway is easy to style with day-to-day wear like jeans.
HIIT Workouts: Apple Watch Series 10
Kinonen has been obsessed with her Apple Watch for her HIIT workouts. “I was a first-generation user and have been loyal to the tech ever since. I use it for my HIIT workouts because it tracks my movement (like steps), calories, and heart rate—which can get really high when I’m at the peak of the workout.” Now that she’s training for the marathon, she’s confident that the Series 10 would be a great gift for herself and others working out as rigorously as she is. “I absolutely want it for its larger yet thinner screen, titanium finish, and upgraded sensors that can track everything from my mile time to my REM sleep time.”
Strength Training: Barry’s Gift Card
“The strength-training, boot camp-style workout has been a staple in my life for years, and with 800-plus classes under my proverbial belt, I’m still going strong (pun intended),” says Kinonen about Barry’s Bootcamp. “That means I’d happily accept gifts in the form of Barry’s gift cards this holiday season and beyond (my birthday is in January, FYI!).”
All Workouts: Owala FreeSip
Kinonen calls this her “emotional support water bottle” and lugs it around to all of her workouts. “The Owala FreeSip is more like a two-in-one bottle in that it has a straw and spout you can drink from at the same time,” she says. “The Owala’s straw is also inside of the bottle, which makes me feel more protected from whatever’s free-floating in the air. Its top handle makes it so easy to carry and travel with to and from workouts, the office, and on planes.”
All Workouts: Calpak Luka Duffel
This isn’t a gym bag, per say, but McGrath uses the Luka Duffel for every single one of her studio workouts. “There’s a separate compartment where I store my dance shoes, it has plenty of space for my pilates/barre ankle weights and resistance bands, several inner pockets where I can store post-workout products like deodorant and wipes, and an outer side pocket that’s water bottle sized, plus my yoga mat slides right on top between the handles,” she says. “Since it’s actually a weekender bag, I can fit several outfit options in case I need to change after the gym and, if I’m headed straight to work, I can slip my laptop into the tech pocket on the outside.”
Recovery: HigherDose Infrared Sauna Blanket
“After my at-home pilates workouts, I love to swaddle myself in HigherDose’s Infrared Sauna Blanket,” says Hussein. “It feels so warm and soothing on sore, tired muscles, and it’s also my super-heated blanket on cold days when I want to work up a sweat without intense exercise.”
Recovery: Therabody JetBoots Prime
If your legs regularly get sore after a workout (*raises hands*), I highly recommend Therabody’s JetBoots Prime, which uses air to improve circulation by compressing your legs, ankles, and feet. On top of feeling absolutely amazing after a hard workout, it folds up and proves easy to store.
Recovery: Loop Dream Earplugs
Sleep is important for overall health and workout recovery (duh!), but “living on a busy New York City one-way street and planning on making a 6:30 a.m. workout class doesn’t always make for a restful slumber,” says Gutierrez. She leans on these earplugs to get her daily eight hours. “Not only does it cancel out all the honking and commotion outside my window, but I feel refreshed in the morning without the temptation to hit snooze and miss my workout.”