Luckily, there are loads of health and fitness ideas out there which could make the perfect present for friends or family.

Forking out money for one's own health is not always a top priority, which makes it an even better gift idea. And health provides a range of options - from smaller items, such as water bottles, to the more expensive fitness or sporting equipment.

Here are a few ideas which might help you tick a few people off the list:

Fitness/sports gear. 'Active wear' is more than just being comfortable when you work out - it's a fashion statement. This could simply be a pair of good running socks to something a bit more extravagant like a sports watch or activity tracker. Good running shoes are not cheap and are an ideal gift for runners or walkers if you have a few people chipping in. Or the gift might be as simple as a skipping rope.

Gym sessions. Depending on your budget, you could gift a 10-visit pass or book some sessions with a personal trainer. Most PTs offer small group training, so book yourself in as well as your gift recipient. Training together with friends and family can keep each other motivated. Having a couple of sessions with a PT can also help ensure you are exercising with the right technique. Most places, such as pilates and yoga studios, swimming centres or trampoline parks (for the kids) offer gift vouchers.

Event entry or a lesson: Entering an event helps stay committed to training and new year's goals. It might be a local running, triathlon or swimming event or one out of town. The latter provides a good excuse to train for something then also have a weekend away. Keep the kids, or perhaps even the whole family, moving through the holidays with a surfing or stand-up paddleboarding lesson.

Other gift ideas include a health journal, healthy recipes book, fruit and vegetable packs, massage or the fail-safe option of a gift voucher.

With the festive season comes less time but staying active will help maintain a semblance of fitness for when the endless string of social events and Christmas catch-ups end. That might just mean squeezing in shorter exercise sessions than normal, doing a couple of 10-minute bouts of exercise throughout the day or clocking up some steps around your neighbourhood morning and night.

Send your health and fitness news to r.valentine@austcommunitymedia.com.au.

Renee Valentine is a journalist, qualified personal trainer and mother of three.