Are you looking for novel or interesting gifts for your friends and family? Are any of them keen walkers? Would you like to buy them practical gifts that they will enjoy using?

Keep reading – we’re here to help with some great gift ideas for those regular (or occasional) walkers in your life.

Hopefully, these ideas will help you buy useful gifts for your friends and family. We think you’ll want to put a few of these items on your list too!

Walking Poles

Not to be confused with walking sticks, poles are a great piece of exercise equipment. They look like ski poles and are suitable for improving fitness and adding extra support for people who are struggling with their balance.

Walking poles can help turn a regular walk into a workout, as you tend to walk faster and use more of your upper body.

For people who get tired when they walk, poles can help them to walk faster and for longer. This can help people to keep up with speedier walking companions or groups.

If you sometimes feel unsteady on your feet when you walk, poles can help you to feel more confident – especially when walking on uneven surfaces or up and down hills.

Base Layer

This piece of clothing that you wear next to your skin – usually a top, but you can get leggings too – helps regulate your temperature.

The material helps to wick sweat away from your body, which means you keep cool in summer and warm in winter.

Anyone who spends time outdoors, e.g., walking or gardening, will benefit from a base layer.

Base layers can be made of merino wool, silk or other materials. Cotton is not recommended as a base layer as it retains moisture for a long time.

Base layers make lovely gifts for the walkers in your life.

Cushioned Socks

I love receiving socks, but I know some people think they’re a bit dull. Stick with me though – we’re not talking novelty avocado socks here…

Cushioned socks protect and support your feet. They keep your feet more comfortable and reduce the risk of rubbing and pain.

Cushioned socks can also help to wick away moisture and absorb shock on high-impact activities or uneven terrain.

If your friends or family are regular walkers, cushioned socks could be an excellent gift for them.

Foot Rollers or Massage Balls

Staying with the feet, foot rollers and massagers are great gifts for regular walkers (and keen exercisers).

Foot rollers are small tubes, often with a textured or spiky exterior. The balls are pretty hard and sometimes have bumps or spikes on them.

What do you do with them, though? You just roll your feet back and forth and round and round, applying pressure all over the foot.

The rolling and pressure improve circulation and stimulate blood flow in the foot. This relaxes and loosens tight muscles and ligaments in the foot. It can reduce discomfort and your risk of foot pain, injuries and complaints, e.g., plantar fasciitis.

Reducing tightness in the foot’s soft tissues can also help with ankle stability, promoting better balance and safer walking.

It feels great, too – try one out yourself if you can!

Relax and Recover

Everyone needs some relaxation, especially if they are very active. Rest and recovery are crucial elements of all good exercise routines. They lend themselves to lots of fabulous gifts too.

I suggest massage vouchers, bath salts, aromatherapy diffusers or pillow sprays (to promote deep and restful sleep).

People often struggle to buy these thoughtful gifts for themselves, so they will be appreciated even more.

Vouchers or Class Passes

Perhaps your friend has all the clothes and gear they might need but would like help or support.  Could you get them vouchers or passes to a gym or class studio near their home? If they prefer to exercise at home, how about buying them an online membership?

There are many options online, but make sure you choose one with specialist instructors available to answer questions and provide support and guidance.

The Vida Wellness Studio is an online exercise studio for people who want to improve their balance, feel stronger and move more easily. Members enjoy a library of clear, easy-to-follow exercise videos, professional advice, support, and encouragement from fellow members.

Here’s a short Better Balance taster video from the Vida Wellness Studio for you:

I hope we’ve given you some interesting ideas for gifts. Perhaps you’ll even treat yourself!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Are you buying gifts for fitness enthusiasts? Which of these ideas do you think will work for them? Do you have other suggestions for us? Join the conversation below!

Looking for that perfect holiday/Christmas dress? It’s the time of the year to sparkle and shine! Sequins are trendy this fall/winter season, and we are seeing festive dresses in an array of colors styled with all-over sequins or detailed in decorative patterned sequins.

Here are our 10 favourite elegant holiday dresses:

1. CALVIN KLEIN Velvet Faux-Wrap Dress – A flattering A-line silhouette velvet dress.
2. SL FASHIONS Shimmer-Popover Sheath Dress – A glam dress that comes with its own sheer glitter cape.
3. KENSIE Stretch-Velvet Boatneck Tie-Waist Sheath Dress – An easy-to-wear dress that has a faux-wrap-style skirt that shows off just a little bit of leg.
4. KASPER Lace Side-Pleated Bodycon Midi Dress – This stretch lace midi dress is perfect for all your Christmas parties.
5. KASPER Lace Surplice V-Neck Ruffled Maxi Dress – Beautiful detail with its faux-wrap styling and side ruffle.
6. CALVIN KLEIN Burnout Velvet Midi Dress – The burnout velvet pattern gives this dress texture and interest.
7. MSK Petite Lurex Smocked Midi Dress – Sparkle and shine in this gold lurex dress.
8. XSCAPE Plus Size Beaded Chiffon Popover Dress – A sheer cape adds extra beauty to this dress.
9. ROBBIE BEE Plus Size Sequin-Sleeve A-Line Dress – Fully sequined sleeves and a flattering faux-wrap styling.
10. CHICO’S Rose Print Bell Sleeve Dress – An easy to wear dress, that looks great accessorized with black accessories.

Christmas dress colors are typically black, red, and green. But you certainly don’t have to limit yourself to those colors. Wear a dress that makes you feel good and fits your style.

Check out our list of holiday dresses for older women. There’s sure to be one that fits your style and budget.

CALVIN KLEIN Velvet Faux-Wrap Dress

This flattering A-line silhouette velvet dress can be found at Macy’s and is offered in dark red and green.

SL FASHIONS Shimmer-Popover Sheath Dress

This dress is great if you want a sleeveless look but want to cover your shoulders. This pretty glam dress comes with its own sheer glitter cape.

KENSIE Stretch-Velvet Boatneck Tie-Waist Sheath Dress

Velvet is a glamorous fabric and is a perfect fabric for a Christmas dress. This is an easy-to-wear dress that has a faux-wrap-style skirt that shows off just a little bit of leg.

KASPER Lace Side-Pleated Bodycon Midi Dress

Lace is another fabric that is often used in cocktail and wedding dresses. This stretch lace midi dress is perfect for all your Christmas parties.

KASPER Lace Surplice V-Neck Ruffled Maxi Dress

Another pretty stretch lace dress perfect for the holiday season. This one has a little more detail with its faux-wrap styling and side ruffle.

CALVIN KLEIN Burnout Velvet Midi Dress

The burnout velvet pattern gives this dress texture and interest. The lush plum color is elegant and also festive.

MSK Petite Lurex Smocked Midi Dress

Sparkle and shine in this gold lurex dress. Accessorize it with gold jewelry for the perfect look.

XSCAPE Plus Size Beaded Chiffon Popover Dress

Cover your arms with this dress and sheer cape combo. The cape is detailed with beaded sequins.

ROBBIE BEE Plus Size Sequin-Sleeve A-Line Dress

More sequins! This dress has full sequined sleeves and a flattering faux-wrap styling.

Rose Print Bell Sleeve Dress

Find this pretty rose-printed anti-wrinkle dress at Chico’s. It’s easy to wear and accessorize with black accessories.

Printed Classic Dress

Another pretty floral find from Chico’s. Classic fit dress styles in a pretty floral perfect for all the holiday events. This dress is easy to dress up or dress down, the perfect day-to-night dress.

Embellished Bow Dress

This classic fit dress is embellished with shiny sequin bows at the neckline. The lightweight fabric has a touch of stretch for extra comfort.

Dotted Ruched Midi Dress

Polka dots are a classic and always look good on a dress pattern. This is another easy day-to-night dress.

Floral Clip V-Neck Midi Dress

This bohemian-chic casual dress from LOFT can take you from a Christmas party to lunch with the girls.

Naomi Draped Dolman Maxi Mermaid Dress

You can always find your perfect dress at Dress Barn. They offer more than dresses, but they still have a great selection of dresses for every occasion. This dress has Christmas Dinner written all over it.

Burn Out Clip Velvet Chiffon Jacket Dress

Another special occasion dress from Dress Barn. We love the dress and jacket combos. This one comes with a patterned velvet bell-sleeve jacket.

Jacket Dress With Flyaway Jacket

Who says you can’t wear white for the holidays! We love this pretty classic fit dress combined with a lace jacket.

Apparel V-Neck Green Knee-Length Wrap Dress – Plus

Are you going away for a Christmas vacation somewhere warm and tropical? This is a perfect wrap floral dress that can be both casual and chic depending on how you accessorize it.

Chiffon Jacket and Dress with Bell Sleeves

Deep indigo is always an elegant color. This combo dress/jacket is designed with a lace dress that is embellished with a beaded neckline and a chiffon jacket with lace details.

London Times Long Sleeve Side Wrap Ruffle Dress – Plus

You’ll notice that there are a lot of wrap dresses on our list. That’s because wrap dresses are super easy to wear and flatter all body shapes. This shiny sexy one is perfect for the holidays!

Read 11 GREAT COCKTAIL DRESSES FOR WOMEN OVER 50.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Which dress is your favorite? Do you like to wear a traditional black, red, or green dress at Christmas? Where do you like to shop for special occasion dresses? Tell us about it in the comments below.

How often do you think about creating your third act? If you are my age, nearing 80, you might think about it more often than not. You’re comfortable now, and yet, you somehow feel that there will be a few adjustments or changes in your future.

After all, this is your third act, and you
want to roll with new experiences. Even
though not all changes will be perfect, or even desired, you can expect they
will be exciting and full of surprises.

Almost daily, I go over several ideas about
how I want the next five or 10 years to evolve. I’m unsure about how these
decisions, intentions, and goals will play out, or how they will affect the
next 20 years of my life, but I’m clear there will be no huge changes, no
abrupt entrances or exits from my present life.

No matter the outcome, I will be pursuing my
passions – writing, practicing yoga, and dancing. My passions are the guarantee
that I will have a fulfilling future.

What’s in a Story’s Third Act?

I was reading over my writing notes the other
day on writing the second act in a novel,
and I thought the ideas would be appropriate for analyzing a boomer’s third
act.

After all, in every decade of your life, you
contemplate the essence of your truth, and, perhaps, ruminate about the existential
status of who you are.

Writing a story or a novel is essentially
revealing a character’s life as it is lived. If you were a character in a
novel, the author would create your arc beginning in the first act (who are
you, what do you want, what is your conflict).

Then the author moves into the second act (attempting
to solve your major problem(s) related to conflict and characters), and, finally,
in the third act, the author resolves the conflict as the character moves
toward resolution.

Your Third Act

When you enter your 60s – the boomer years –
you are ready to retire and move on with the plans that have captivated your
imagination. Freedom lies ahead of you. Creative dreams emerge.

All the planning and proposed activities
(plots) stir up your emotions as well. Important events and activities will
happen as you cross the threshold. Maybe unforeseen problems will emerge.

What Awaits You?

What
awaits you? Grandparenting, or the changing dynamics with your adult children. You
might hear a calling to take a risk or do something that seems incongruous with
your first and second acts, or encounter adventures that seem contrary to how
you are accustomed to living your life.

This is exciting and can be life-changing. Intuition
coupled with planning will be your guides.

The following are five steps that will be helpful
in structuring your fulfilling future.

Keep Your Passions Close

In a world full of distraction, you probably
bounce from pillar to post. With a barrage of daily news and social media, you
could go mad. If your focus is constantly diverted, how do you hang on to all
that you cherish in life?

It takes clear thought to wake up every day
with an intention to pursue one of your passions and begin the day with focus
and joy. This is a discipline that keeps loneliness at bay, tackles a personal
need, or integrates you with your community.

Meditate: Give Yourself Time and Space

No good decision is made quickly. Sometimes,
it feels as if the deciding is taking place in the moment: On the spot, you plan to travel to Africa. But, in truth, that
decision is made over weeks, or months, or even years, without awareness of it
in real time.

Meditation, the idea that you are rooting
yourself in the present, fosters consciousness and creates distance at the same
time. You let your thoughts go in meditation – you watch them go by like
clouds. Your ideas and plans will return at another time with clarity, which lends
credence to your decisions.

Be Aware of Your Most Basic Personal and Financial Needs

A rule of thumb is to take stock of your most
basic personal and financial needs once a year. How else will you understand
where you are in the development of your most fulfilling future.

Keeping your personal information up to date,
knowing upcoming events and activities, organizing an up-to-date calendar are
good habits to maintain. This can save you countless hours of searching for
necessary documents about future payments for house or car insurance or ledgers
of expenses.

Keeping files related to your life correspond
to how your remaining years will be consciously fulfilling.

Think About Your Legacy

A fulfilling future includes giving
significant thought to your legacy. Every birthday, be aware of what you have
accomplished, and what you look forward to accomplishing. It’s your future, and
you alone determine how it will be meaningful and courageous.

You don’t have to ask anyone for permission
because this is your life. First, put your will in order. Make a trust, if
necessary, and organize life after death. The path going forward can be
exhilarating and give you a sense of time and place that is surely
inspirational.

Visualize Your New Life

It is an honor to grace your life with clarity;
to see it in front of you on the horizon and make fulfilling commitments to the
process. Visualizing the future is like extending a piece of music that will
play out in beautiful tones and perfect construction.

You’ve lived long enough to know the pitfalls
will be minimal and the gifts will be sweet. Seeing yourself ahead of your
present life will give you courage and satisfaction. It will also make you
happier and healthier, more curious, assured, and comfortable.

Acceptance and Gratitude

A boomer’s third act means something different
to everyone. Yet, there are two constants that will give you a perfectly
fulfilling life: Acceptance and Gratitude.

By accepting your life as it moves forward,
you confer respect and acquiesce to its unique character, much like a character
in a novel whose arc unfolds during the story.

Giving daily gratitude for the life you are
living and sharing with others is the extension of your inspiration and
dedication to a life well lived. Everyone can have a perfectly perfect future.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you envision your third act? What do
you do to make the most of it? What have you had to accept in your life thus
far? What are grateful for the most? Please join in the conversation!

I love Christmas! Mostly for the fact that it means a rest from the daily grind, a chance to have at least one day eating what I want, and best of all, spending it with people I love.

That said, Christmas is a lot of very hard work. I always start my Christmas shopping while on holiday in Greece during the summer. I love looking for trinkets and olive oil goodies which I know my friends will love as much as I do.

But I am rarely able to keep up with my own planning schedule, and when I start to panic, everything goes downhill. My problem is, I can’t live up to my own very high standards. I envy those people who really are organised, because no matter how hard I try, it never works out for me.

While I love to write little notes in Christmas cards, by the time I reach 50, I’ve had enough. Since my method of writing cards is to go through my address book – alphabetically of course – if your surname begins with W, you aren’t going to get a very long note!

One friend creates a typed letter which she then sends to everyone, but I prefer to do a personal note rather than a photocopied one.

Your Place or Mine?

There’s always the problem of where to go for Christmas Day. That isn’t much of a problem for me right now because I have only my husband and daughter, but things may change in the future.

My daughter has been seeing her boyfriend for three years, so there will probably come a time where she will alternate between parents, and I’m dreading that. Am I being selfish – she is an only child and her boyfriend is one of three?

Fortunately, we also have a wonderful circle of friends and are often invited over during the holiday season. On occasion, we too have hosted our own very large lunches.

Still, there’s nothing better than closing the door on Christmas Eve after Midnight Mass, and knowing we can put on our new festive pyjamas and watch a shmaltzy film – usually National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Elf is reserved for the day we put up the tree.

The one good thing about the holidays though is seeing your elderly parents, aunts, uncles etc. who spend much of the year on their own (why?). It may be the high point of their year when they get to spend time with the younger members of the family.

I would give anything to have my own Mum and Dad back – how I would spoil them now! They passed away when I had just started work, so I never got to buy them proper gifts, though I’m sure they appreciated what little I could afford in those days.

Some of you are so generous, inviting elderly strangers without relatives into your home for Christmas – it takes special people to do that, and I believe it’s something I should do, too.

Food, Glorious Food!

And then there’s the food! Mountains of it! Why do we buy so much to eat for just one day – or two if you’re in the UK and count Boxing Day?

My freezer is already stocked up, and we are actually going to friends for Christmas Day this year! Still, we buy Christmas cake and mince pies “in case someone drops by” – when we don’t even like them!

The Down Side

However, the holiday season isn’t all fun and games for everyone. Sadly, the divorce rate rises steeply after Christmas – obviously the last straw for some couples.

It can be a very stressful time. The bulk of the catering and organising is usually, though not always, done by us women, and coping with family members we don’t even like can see tempers flare. This is particularly true if there’s alcohol involved, which there usually is at Christmas.

The down side for me comes when receiving gifts that I don’t need, which, unfortunately, make me grumpy and ungrateful. These include ornaments, slippers, make up bags or chocolates (I love them but I am still desperately trying to shift the baby weight after 27 years!)

My friends and I have a rule: If we buy gifts, they should be something we can use and throw away. That includes anti-wrinkle cream which one generous friend gives me every year, and I love her for it!

My daughter gives me a list of things every year and tells me I don’t have to buy everything, but please not to buy things that are not on it as ‘stocking fillers.’ I ignored that request until her teens when unfortunately, if it wasn’t on her list, it went straight to the charity shop two days later.

I hope we don’t sound ungrateful – we certainly appreciate the thought which goes into buying a gift. Yet I would much rather buy something I know you wanted or would use, rather than something which will go into a cupboard until a decent time has gone by so you can donate it.

If all else fails, I would prefer someone made a donation to a charity in my name, and then I know it’s going to a good home.

A New Beginning

During my corporate working days, I loved to go into the office the day after Boxing Day. It was a time to sort out the filing, clear out old papers, sort out my plans for the coming months and generally get ready for a new year with a clear head and desk.

Now that I no longer go into an office every day, I look forward to taking down the tree and giving the house a good clean – how sad is that?

After all that, however, I am still looking forward to Christmas this year. To be honest though, I will be glad when it’s all over, too!

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and joyous New Year.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What are you doing for Christmas this year? What do you love and hate about Christmas? What is your perfect gift – to give or receive? Please share in the comments below!