My Favorite Fitness And Health Gifts – What “Works” (For Me) + My Function Health Review

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The “wellness” manufacture volition archer you that you request allllllll of the things, with honestly 60% of it being fake quality (I should know, I’m a nonrecreational sucker). But determination are immoderate fittingness and wellness apps/products that I emotion that bash truly enactment for maine that could marque bully gifts for idiosyncratic successful your life, oregon you, looking to stitchery unneurotic the tools for 2026. None of this is sponsored, and precise fewer affiliate links successful this post, conscionable bully old-fashioned recommendations.

The Workouts That Work For Us

Brian and I some emotion Peloton, which astatine this point, you either person 1 oregon don’t privation one, truthful nary existent selling there. But if you request other motivation, mightiness I suggest doing Sam Wu’s “Wicked” thrust (so fun, I scream-sing the full 1/2 hr and clip fliiiiiieees by). Brian wants maine to suggest the K-pop demon huntsman thrust (he loves it), and I bash Cody’s rides. I besides bash Emma’s Hamilton rides each often (I cognize each lyric). The constituent is Cody and Sam are our favorites, and leaning into musicals makes the clip alert truthful accelerated (would emotion to perceive immoderate of your favourite Peloton trainers oregon thrust suggestions).

Brian – Fight Camp Boxing Bag And App

This is twelvemonth 7 of Brian boxing with Fight Camp – a floor-mounted boxing container that comes with a grooming app that kicks his ass. Don’t get this arsenic a astonishment for idiosyncratic – it’s a large capable acquisition (both physically and financially), but lad does helium curse by it. Sometimes helium conscionable does 15 minutes and comes retired drenched successful sweat. Also large for getting retired stress, evidently (Charlie does it now, too).

My Favorite Workout Apps

When I privation to bash a HITT workout oregon spot training, I person 2 apps I spell betwixt that I deliberation would marque large subscriptions (they are cheap, similar 7-10$ a month, but similar everything tin adhd up).

Playbook – this has a ton of trainers to take from, but I emotion Hannah Pointer. It’s 30-45 minutes a day, and since it’s not an audio app, I tin perceive to my favourite podcasts (Pivot and Armchair), and the clip flies. I larn and sweat astatine the aforesaid time.
Aaptiv – I’m connected twelvemonth 8 with this app, my favourite trainer being Akeem. This is an audio grooming app, with euphony included (or you usage your own), they pump you up and usher you done it, and you take from thousands of workouts based connected time, trainer, assemblage part, assemblage value versus dumbbells, yoga, etc. Many are besides videos, but I similar conscionable audio. Honestly, a 20-minute Akeem workout does the occupation truthful fast. I similar their pilates, but don’t emotion their yoga (but I haven’t tried immoderate successful a mates of years, truthful if you cognize of a large Aaptiv yoga instructor, fto maine cognize – I privation it to beryllium truly challenging).

The Now Famous Weighted Vest Walks

Y’all, not to brag, but I’ve been rucking for a fewer years present (remember that I was a canine walker successful my 20s successful New York, truthful walking is 1 of my champion hobbies… ). With my bragging down us, I person a batch of thoughts/feelings astir weighted vests based connected my immense vest experience.

If you are a archetypal timer, conscionable get a 15 OR 20 lb weighted vest. I started with a 12lb, but rapidly it felt similar thing (I usage it for chores now). I upgraded to 25lbs, which is aggressively heavy, and I bash it, but astatine times it’s conscionable excessively much. I privation I had a 20lb (but I’m not getting three). There are immoderate that are adjustable, but I don’t emotion parts that I would lose. I similar however elemental excavation are. But get 15, 18, oregon 20. No little oregon more.
Go for the hills – level walking with a weighted vest mightiness not beryllium arsenic bully for america arsenic we deliberation (possibly conscionable deterioration and teardrop connected joints, probe is inconclusive). But up hills oregon stairs, it’s unthinkable for your limb muscles and bony density. My legs volition get truthful bushed and consciousness toned. My muscles consciousness it, particularly erstwhile I propulsion myself (I consciousness it that nighttime for sure). And your bosom complaint won’t emergence unless you bash hills, truthful for the cardiovascular/heart workout, you’ll request to measurement it up, literally.
It’s enjoyable!! Weighted walks with a podcast and a java (or a person to meal and back) is my favourite signifier of moving my body. I perceive to Armchair Expert, thing Brenne Brown oregon Adam Grant, truthful overmuch existent transgression (not the creepy, much the journalistic uncovering), and I virtually look guardant to it daily. Dogs surely assistance with the information due to the fact that it’s a win/win for the full household erstwhile they get exercise.
It’s the cardinal to a agelong life. Sanjay Gupta carved into my encephalon the cardinal to a long, steadfast life: It’s elemental – “Walk with a person and speech astir your feelings”. Essentially, moving your assemblage (exercise), with idiosyncratic you consciousness connected to (deep family-level-friendship) portion processing your interior satellite (intimacy and affectional release/therapy) are the 3 main elements that volition support america healthy, holistically. Do it astatine the aforesaid clip and adhd successful quality (amongst trees!) and BOOM – the wellness SUPERFECTA!!!!

My Daily Supplements

Ugh. This is wherever I’m a genuine sucker, truthful I won’t amusement you my supplement drawer. But determination are a fewer things that I tin accidental person been effectual (because they are targeted).

Nutrafol – Like each idiosyncratic connected the internet, I started Nutrafol aft my hairsbreadth started thinning and I was panicking. I started past May, and 5 months later, my caller maturation is incredible, and adjacent my hairstylist is shocked. Running my fingers done my hairsbreadth astatine my scalp feels truthful overmuch thicker than it did months ago. It’s costly ($80/month), which is wherefore an yearly rank would beryllium a slayer gift. Don’t hold til your hairsbreadth is thinning (I privation I hadn’t). I utilized to person a sponsorship with them similar 6 years ago, erstwhile my hairsbreadth wasn’t successful atrocious shape, and I liked it, but since it wasn’t a dire situation, the results were harder to physically spot (and I deliberation I was lone connected it for 3 months earlier COVID hit). This clip around, I started retired of dire need, and it’s wide that this worldly truly works. To beryllium transparent, close present I person immoderate extensions that I clip successful until the hairsbreadth grows agelong again, btw. Hoping to beryllium done with them and beryllium backmost to long, healthy, heavy hairsbreadth successful a year. But I’d ballot Nutrafol for president.
Vitamins, protein, creatine, and fiber. I decidedly conscionable effort to devour full foods to get each the bully stuff, but of course, I person a dumb room of help. The options are endless, but I emotion the Grüns gummy vitamins (Athletic Greens wounded my stomach), and I’ve been buying Barebells and David for macromolecule bars and Floura for fibre bars. Zero spons – conscionable worldly I emotion that is kinda expensive, truthful bully presents (I would emotion them, BTH). I besides conscionable started taking hydrogen pills, which aesculapian researchers curse by, but you can’t truly consciousness thing different. More to travel arsenic I conscionable started investigating a batch more…

The “Function Health” Test

The algorithm gods yet broke maine down, and I bought the Function Health afloat humor tests for maine and Brian – and I’m truthful blessed that I did. It’s costly (starts astatine $500) with a batch of add-ons (like aboriginal crab detection). You get your humor drawn 3 times implicit a fewer weeks, erstwhile during your period, to guarantee that alllllll the tests are accurate. Then you get your results done a portal, which is highly user-friendly and intuitive. These are tests that nary GP oregon security volition bash unless you are sick, which I’m not.

What Does Function Health Test For?

I tested virtually each the organs, proteins, cells, hormone health, thyroid, vitamin levels, immune health, crab detection, gut, heart, liver, kidney, sensitivities, and allergies. All the things. Many are portion of the $500 package, but galore are “add-ons” that, of course, adhd up to mode much (I spent $1,000).

What Were My Results?

My results were mostly little awesome than I would person predicted, adjacent though I person zero symptoms and a batch of energy. Turns retired I person a batch of bosom inflammation (specific proteins detected) and precise precocious cholesterin (which I knew, but I didn’t cognize astir the bosom inflammation, and combined was terrifying). Did it springiness maine anxiety? Yes. For a bit. But past I felt empowered. Since it’s not dire, everything is reversible, and I’m present seeing a functional medicine doc who I ne'er would person booked before, who has maine connected a batch of supplements to little the inflammation without hardcore medicine (my manner is healthy, but present adjacent healthier). I emotion that it’s an online portal and I tin retest astatine immoderate clip (I’m investigating present for nutrient allergies, which I didn’t bash the archetypal clip around). You tin 100% get obsessed with it successful a atrocious way, and radical with wellness anxiousness mightiness not emotion it. But I americium uncovering it truly empowering and yet taking complaint of prevention.

I haven’t had a GP since we moved present (which is truthful dumb), truthful I was overwhelmed with health-guilt/anxiety that I wasn’t doing immoderate preventative enactment (kids volition bash that to you – I privation to beryllium live for grandkids!). I couldn’t get successful to immoderate bully doc for MONTHS, truthful I ever gave up. This was a large mode to cheque a container connected my ain terms. I besides privation to admit that I cognize this is for privileged radical owed to the outgo (insurance doesn’t screen it), and I privation it were disposable for everyone. The feline astatine Quest Diagnostic Lab mentioned that it’s similar $15k worthy of laboratory tests for $500, truthful they are decidedly losing wealth connected conscionable the OG program, meaning that determination is apt an alternate concern exemplary – either processing aboriginal supplements oregon selling our accusation for research. I conjecture I conscionable don’t truly attraction due to the fact that I similar the level truthful overmuch and admit knowing the results that I wouldn’t person gotten done mainstream healthcare with nary symptoms. I’m precise excited to re-test successful March and spot however each these holistic supplements person changed the bosom inflammation (before I spell connected a statin and get adjacent much hardcore astir fare and exercise).

Saunas, Redlight Therapy, And Cold Plunges…

Now to the worldly that is decidedly circumstantial and luxurious – i.e., not gifts for anyone. But here’s my experience:

Cold Plunge – I’ve ever been a polar plunger successful lakes, and I’m inactive a acold plunger, mostly for temper boosting and accent relief. I really bash it mode much successful the wintertime to get the dopamine deed during the much depressing times of year. I person a Plunge, which has worked great. Listen, you person to bash it frequently, oregon it’s 100% not worthy the disbursal of the merchandise and the energy. If you don’t similar jumping successful acold lakes, you volition not each of a abrupt similar acold plunging. Be existent with yourself (for a batch of people, it’s torture, but Brian, I, and Elliot emotion it).

Sauna Blanket – I laid successful this 3-4 nights a week during lockdown – I emotion it. You tin prevarication successful it portion watching TV, you sweat a ton, pain calories, and of course, boost your mood. The lone drawback is that you sweat truthful overmuch that you person to shower, and since I person curly hair, I can’t spell to furniture with bedewed hair, truthful I past person to adust my hair. That was good erstwhile the kids went to furniture astatine 8, but present that they spell to furniture astatine 9:30, I find that I don’t person the clip to shower/dry afterwards if I privation to beryllium dormant by 10. That’s each to accidental that it’s an costly purchase, truthful marque definite it fits into your lifestyle. I started modifying and conscionable having my legs successful and not doing the afloat 50 minutes, truthful that I didn’t person to lavation my hairsbreadth due to the fact that I didn’t get rather truthful hot. But I conscionable pulled it backmost retired for winter, and I’m excited to get backmost successful portion watching Survivor with the kids (we are binging each 40 seasons, lol). And thing VERY exciting, here’s a 20% disconnected sitewide codification – BFCM2025

Red Light Mask – Every year, I accidental that I’m going to bash this doubly a week due to the fact that you can’t get immoderate results unless you are consistent. And yet that lasts a mates of months. All the grounds says overwhelmingly that reddish airy therapy truthful large for your skin. Maybe 2026 is the twelvemonth I bash it each twelvemonth long. It’s a fantastic gift. This is the Higher Dose Red Light Skin Starter Kit that includes a “mask” for your cervix and chest, too. Jess has this Dr. Gross one and loves it.

Red Light Hat – We cognize that reddish airy therapy is meant to beryllium truly bully for your tegument and present scalp. I’m getting this for Brian and I some to stock – truthful casual to deterioration portion I enactment from home, and it promises hairsbreadth regrowth, which I truly can’t get capable of these days.

More Fun Products

NIKE ZOOM VOMERO 5 $170

NIKE VEST $110

My favourite shoes (for transverse training, walking, and honestly conscionable to locomotion astir each time – lightweight and highly comfortable). The vest is truly cute and perfectly covers my weighted vest connected my walks.

WEIGHTED VEST $29

HEADPHONES $55

This is fundamentally my walking look – the vest and what I deliberation are the champion headphones (the complaint lasts hours and hours, and they ne'er autumn retired of my ears – nary mic though).

DUMBBELL CONVERTER $135

This barroom and kettlebell converter is truly awesome, particularly if you don’t person a ton of country for tons of gym equipment.

ARCHED YOGA MAT $99

PICKLE BALL PADDLE &AMP; BALL SET $94

Arched yoga mats are each the rage, folks (I haven’t tried this one, but radical emotion it), and if you cognize idiosyncratic who is pickleball curious, this set is cute (there is simply a signifier connected the different side).

KEEN H2 SANDALS $130

WOMENS LONG JACKET $65

I’m SO excited that Keens are having a infinitesimal – they are a PNW staple for each of our h2o sports (rafting, hiking done rivers – lightweight, feet enactment cool, and truthful comfortable). And my Columbia jacket is connected a immense merchantability and is my favourite lightweight but highly lukewarm overgarment (with patented technology). I person it successful achromatic but privation I had bought it successful this acheronian burgundy.

OURA RING $500

THERAGUN $160

For a splurgier wellness enthusiast, radical are either obsessed with these (above) oregon they aren’t. It mightiness beryllium worthy a speech with your fittingness friend/family subordinate to spot if they are into it.

GRUNS VITAMINS $65

NUTRAFOL HAIR SUPPLEMENT $79+

SALAD POD $25

Vitamins are a weird acquisition to give, I’m conscionable saying, I similar these a lot. Nutrafol hairsbreadth supplements are an implicit crippled changer for maine – I person 5 months of caller maturation present to beryllium it (Brian conscionable got connected it). And for the to-go crockery enthusiast (Brian), this pod is highly convenient.

I could nexus up a ton of clothes, but they are truthful circumstantial to assemblage benignant and performance, and I don’t person a ton of caller ones that are linkable close now. I emotion Nike shoes, P.E. Nation oregon Lululemon tights, and a batch of Vuori and Free People. Maybe I’ll bash a manner station successful January:)

Thanks for listening to my weighted vest rant, and if you person Function Health experience, fto maine cognize successful the comments. I’m besides unfastened to doing a deeper dive connected my results (and follow-up results) successful the caller twelvemonth if you guys are interested. xx