The season of gift giving is here! For those who find joy in browsing for and purchasing the perfect present, the ritual is fulfilling and fun. Meanwhile, others who feel it’s a hassle may wish they could skip the societal ritual altogether.
Wherever you fall on the gift-giving spectrum, we’ve got you covered — consider us your holiday helpers! We spoke with a few Life Time experts and healthy-living enthusiasts to learn what they hope to give and receive this season. Their suggestions might just spark your creativity and provide some tangible ideas for the loved ones on your list.
As you’re thinking of others, remember that the holiday season is also for you: Be sure to prioritize your own wellness amid the frenzy. These ideas are all curated to enhance a healthy life — and who knows? Maybe you’ll be inspired to purchase something for yourself or add it to your own wish list.
Lydia Hirt
Vice president of pickleball marketing at Life Time.
Her Wish List: Lately, I’ve become a bit obsessed with my Oura ring sleep score — it’s practically my nightly report card. But now I’m convinced the ultimate gift I need for 2025 is the Eight Sleep. I’ve been subtly (OK, maybe not that subtly) dropping hints to my boyfriend. It’s a splurge, but I’ve cleverly framed it as a gift for “both of us.” Fingers crossed he buys it (and Life Time has a code to save $350!)
I take LTH Omega-3 Fish Oil every day during my lunch break and could always use a refill on my stock of it. I’ve learned a lot about LTH’s sustainable sourcing and quality practices, so it’s a product I feel great about taking, especially knowing the many ways fish oil contributes to my overall health and wellness.
My family claims I’m impossible to shop for (totally not true, by the way), so I’ve made it easy for them this year — Life Time gift cards! They start at $25, and I’ll gladly put them toward pickleball lessons and Pilates sessions. Plus, every time I’m on the court or the reformer, I’ll think of the generous soul who made it happen.
Her Gifting List: Gift-giving is one of my love languages — right up there with wearing matching outfits. My boyfriend and I are headed to Costa Rica around the holidays, and I’m counting down the days until we’re playing pickleball in the tropical sunshine (you can get an idea of how much I love playing this sport if you follow me on Instagram @lydia.pickleball).
Naturally, I’m gifting him the gear to be twinning with me in matching Lululemon sets. I’m obsessed with this emerald green one: Men’s Lululemon Pickleball Zeroed In Short Sleeve Shirt and Men’s Lululemon Pickleball Zeroed In Linerless 7” Shorts, which match my favorite set! It’s available at the LT Shop here: Women’s Lululemon Pickleball Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve 2.0 Race Length and Women’s Lululemon Pickleball Varsity High-Rise Pleated 14″ Skirt.
For my sister who loves long strolls in Central Park with her rescue pup, I’m gifting Bala Bangles. They’re light weights she can wear on her wrists or ankles to make her walks a little more efficient (and stylish).
And for the fellow pickleball lovers in my life? My dad, who plays with both power and spin, is getting the new JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus 3S Paddle. Plus, everyone’s getting a three-pack of the Ultimate Pickleball in their stocking! These balls play fast, bounce consistently, and don’t crack — they’ll be the gift that keeps on giving long after the holidays.
Anna Buss
Social media engagement specialist at Life Time.
Her Wish List: I would love to receive the Women’s Splits59 Joan Fleece Polo Sweatshirt and Women’s Split59 Reena Fleece Sweatpant set from LT Shop. The material is incredibly soft, making it the ideal outfit for cozy days at home.
Her Gifting List: I’m hoping to treat someone to a Hydrafacial appointment at the LifeSpa. It’s my favorite facial, and I want others to experience the amazing results for themselves.
Danny King
Master Trainer and director of recovery and performance at Life Time.
His Wish List: I would love for someone to buy me a gift card for a Dynamic Stretch session. As the director of Dynamic Stretch, I obviously love and believe in the service, but like many members, I tend to not be great about scheduling time for myself. Every time I lead a workshop and am the demo client for this service, I realize how much I need the service. My goal this year is to get a bit more consistent with my own stretch sessions, and a holiday gift would be a great way to kick that off.
His Gifting List: I’m planning on gifting someone LTH Revive Grass-Fed Colostrum. It’s an amazing supplement for many reasons: gut health, recovery, skin health, and more. Everyone I know could benefit from it. I am two weeks into a gut-health protocol and am feeling amazing — I want everyone to feel as good as I do right now.
Anika Christ
Senior director of nutrition and weight loss at Life Time.
Her Wish List: Anything that supports my own self-care! I started investing more time and energy into my skincare this last year, so a LifeSpa gift card to put toward a facial or some of my favorite skincare products is high on the list. I’m very into red-light therapy as well and have had my eyes on this red light face mask.
Her Gifting List: This probably goes without saying, but as a dietitian, I’m really into gifting health-supporting consumables that I love and use myself. Over the years, I’ve gifted LTH Collagen Peptides because it’s my favorite protein on the LTH line for its taste and usability. I’ll pair the vanilla-flavored one with my favorite handheld milk frother, coffee beans, and/or a cute mug for all the coffee lovers in my life. I’ve also gifted the unflavored option with handmade soup and/or pasta sauce (you can add the collagen to both of these for an extra boost).
This year, I’m obsessed with our newest collagen offering: LTH Rewind Collagen Elixir. It’s a daily collagen shot that tastes amazing and is perfect for those who want to support their skin, hair, and nails (and joints!). I’ll most likely pair it with another skincare favorite like a gua sha stone, collagen face mask, or favorite serum.
Jen Rezac
Director of education for kids and swim at Life Time.
Her Wish List: I’d love to receive a SkinPen appointment at our LifeSpa MediSpa. I had this service done once before and my skin looked and felt great after. I came out with a smoother appearance and could tell a difference in the size of my pores. It was the reset my skin needed and the recovery time was very quick. As I go into the harsh, northern winter, my skin needs all the help it can get!
Her Gifting List: Every year, I gift an experience that I can do with the special people in my life. In my family, the kids are all past the age of toys, and I’m over having stuff accumulate in my house, which is why I love experiences. It gives us time together and we always do something new.
Last year we went to a holiday show, and this year we’re going on a vacation in January for our “holiday adventure and presents.” It’s a double whammy in our household because we have a child with a Christmas Eve birthday, and our family all lives out of town, so we’re excited to come together with them to do this getaway.
While the experiences are our big gift, we also always play fun holiday games in which the kids can earn prizes, so I love to purchase goodies from the LT Shop for this. A few of my personal favorites are the Serve Chilled Rosé Eye Gels packs and the Lip Service gloss-to-balm treatment.
Avery Price
Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time in Pickerington, Ohio.
Her Wish List: This year I had the amazing opportunity to become a certified Pilates instructor. Therefore, my wish list for this holiday season is reflective of the wellness-centered “Pilates girl era” circulating on social media.
I’m hoping to receive some new Lululemon workout sets, grip socks, a set of the Bala Bangles, and my favorite supplements to keep me feeling my best. My current obsession is the LTH Revive Grass-Fed Colostrum and the LTH Hydrate electrolytes in the peach mango flavor.
Her Gifting List: Gift-giving is my favorite part of the holiday season. With my family being very health conscious, I’m excited to gift new products and services for them to try. I already plan to gift the Normatec Go to my youngest brother who is an avid weight lifter and athlete — this portable recovery tool will get so much use during his wrestling season.
I’m also very excited to give my mom a gift card to the LifeSpa so she can have the massage and facial she has been wanting.
Looking for Even More Gift Ideas?
Here are some additional options to help you shop for more of the people on your list.
- For the pickleballer: Gift the Think Royln Sporty Spice Pickleball Bag so your favorite player can hit the court in style. You also can’t go wrong gifting a new paddle, like the JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus CFS 16 Pickleball Paddle. Pickleballers may also appreciate tools or supplements to support their recovery from play, such as the Hypervolt Go 2 or LTH Amino Recovery.
- For the entertainer: LTH Arbosana Olive Oil, a supplement-grade extra virgin olive oil, is a gift any host would enjoy drizzling over a large salad or adding to a dipping sauce for appetizers. “Supplement grade” means the ingredients meet high standards for safety, purity, and potency — and because only a small percentage of olive oils in the world meet these requirements, you’d be gifting them something they likely don’t already have.
- For the fashionista: For the ladies, the Tavi Power Bra paired with the Tavi High Waisted 7/8 Tight makes for a stylish combo you can easily throw on and head to the club for a workout. For the fellas, how about the Rhone Atmosphere Long Sleeve paired with the Rhone 7” Pursuit Short? And you might as well tack on the Custom Quilted Tote so they can keep all their belongings together when they’re on the move.
- For the reader: Give the gift of health to your loved ones with a one-year subscription to Experience Life, the award-wining health and fitness magazine published by Life Time. This six-issue gift can help them stay current on the latest health and wellness information and trends, plus find plenty of inspiration for pursuing their goals.
- For the cook in the kitchen: The 1-2-12 Nutrition Book is the perfect recipe book for the food-lover in your life who also aims to follow a healthy-eating plan. Written by Life Time experts, the cookbook features 70-plus recipes as well as tips for making healthy eating easier.
- For the one who appreciates deeds over gifts: Adopt a tree on behalf of a loved one to be planted in a western Oregon region devastated by wildfires in 2020. The Life Time Foundation has committed to helping reforest this area to help restore critical habitat and create a more resilient and healthy forest ecosystem. A virtual certificate will be provided, so the recipient knows this act of care for the planet was done because you care for them.
- For anyone in your life: You can’t go wrong with a Life Time gift card! This can be put toward their favorite areas of or offerings at the club, whether it’s the LifeCafe, LifeSpa, Dynamic Personal Training, Dynamic Stretch, Pilates, Life Time Swim, or Kids Camp. (They don’t have to be a Life Time member to eat at the LifeCafe or get a service at the LifeSpa, making this truly a gift for anyone!)
