I love giving people things that will make their lives better, especially health-related items. You do have to exercise tact and make sure the gift is something they want, not just something you think they need.

Here’s what I have on my personal health and fitness wish list. Maybe you would like to compare it with yours—or may be it will provide some suggestions for hard-to-please people on your gift list.

Yoga mats, zafus

Gravity table

Pilates equipment

Massage oils, massage tables, and soothing music to listen to during massage

Meditation cushions, candles, music, and art

Essential oil sets

Flower remedy gift sets

Baskets of herbal teas

Tai chi, jazzercise or martial arts, meditation, yoga or dance classes

Vitamins and nutritional supplements

Books on alternative therapies, longevity, sports medicine, and nutrition

Skin care and body care products made with natural ingredients

Potted plants of culinary and/or medicinal herbs

I’m sure you can think of more.

Be creative, because these are the kinds of gifts that could save a life, or extend the enjoyment of life, for someone you love.

What’s on your health and fitness wish list? Almost everything I’ve listed can be ordered on line, often at great Savings—so you can please the people on your list—and buy yourself some great health and fitness items, too, and start the new year right.

Image by Photo Munki via Flickr

Years ago, when I studied ballet as an adult, several people took ballet class every weekday morning to rid themselves of back problems. It seems that gently stretching your back can relieve back pain.

At the time, there was a fad for “gravity boots” that would allow you to hang upside down to stretch your back. And some people swore that it worked. Unfortunately the boots had to be installed over a door in your house, and they looked to be hard to get into. As I recall, they seemed quite expensive, too.

Our ballet teacher taught us to stretch our back muscles by hanging upside down over portable ballet bars. It was easy and safe, but a portable ballet bar is not pretty, and it would take up quite a bit of space in your home.

On weekends and holidays, when there was no ballet class, some of the people with back problems would go to the park and hang on the stretching bars that had been installed for runners. Others worked out ways to construct something similar at home that they could dismantle between uses.

Also, hanging upside down for a few minutes has some good effects from increasing blood flow to the head. Increased circulation apparently benefits the skin, scalp and brain.

One of the other things about back problems is that they may often be caused by weak abdominal muscles. Experts say that back muscles have to work extra hard if our abdominal muscles are weak.

Recently I ran across a neat device called a gravity inversion table that lets you gently stretch your back without hanging completely upside down. And like the slant board that my friend’s mother had when we were kids, these inversion tables also allow you to lie down and relax with your feet gently elevated above your head. Besides being relaxing, that can be very good for tired, swollen or strained ankles and feet. They call it inversion table therapy.

Best of all, inversion tables can also be used for safely and efficiently exercising your abdominal muscles. In fact, they are often referred to as ab inversion tables. Doing situps on the floor can actually damage your back. And if done improperly, floor situps can actually make your abdomen stick out!

Ab inversion tables are padded with memory foam to protect your back, and you can adjust the slant and lock the table in place at just the right slant for relaxing or exercising. Some are referred to as inversion therapy chairs. Apparently the different models are used for slightly different purposes, but all of them seem to be good for gently stretching your back.

If you are interested in looking into this further, Sam’s Club sells several models, from budget to deluxe, at a very reasonable price.