Fitness
Get Mom Moving on Mother's Day With These Top Health and Fitness Gifts
Our wellness advice is expert-vetted. Our top picks are based on our editors’ independent research, analysis, and hands-on testing. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
Beats Fit Pro noise-canceling earbuds
For the mom who wants an uninterrupted workout
Hatch Rest Plus Second Generation
For the mom who values a good night’s sleep
Lululemon Align High-Rise Pant 28-Inch Women’s Leggings
For the mom who wants timeless leggings
Bombas Socks
For the mom who likes cushioned workout socks
WithIt smartwatch bands
For the mom who likes accessories
Flipbelt Zipper Running Belt
For the marathon-training mom
If your mom’s idea of self-care includes exercising and overall taking care of her health, we’ve narrowed down some gifts she’ll appreciate. There are endless products out there that would make a great gift this coming Mother’s Day, but you want to make sure that you’re getting Mom something that she will get good use out of.
Being a first-time mom as well as a fitness writer, I’ve come across products that active and health-conscious moms can enjoy and can even amplify their everyday lives. If you need ideas on what to get your fitness-loving mom this Mother’s Day, we hope you’ll draw inspiration from some of these top gift picks.
If your mom is a devoted Peloton rider, then chances are she can never have enough activewear. Peloton has its own activewear line with Lululemon and recently released its spring line — just in time for Mother’s Day. The new collection has shirts, jackets, sports bras, tights and tank tops available in bright colors exclusive for Peloton. Other attire you can pick from is Peloton’s Ford & Wyatt collection, which has T-shirts and sweatshirts with sayings like “Peloton Mama” and “Raising Legends” in muted colors, as well as tees for children ranging from sizes 0 to 24 months and 2T to 12Y.
Battery Life Rated up to 6 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)
A good pair of noise-canceling earbuds can make all the difference in a workout. The Beats Fit Pro are our top pick for the best buds for working out. If your mom likes to get her workout in without the interruptions, she can benefit from this solid pair of earbuds. They’re essentially built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro, but they’ve got a cool wingtip design that wraps around your ear for a secure fit while working out. CNET’s David Carnoy calls them “the sports AirPods you’ve always wanted.”
One of the things I learned to value as a new mother is what a big difference a good night of sleep can make for parents and baby. When I get a good night’s rest, I’m able to have a better workout and overall day. I use the Hatch Rest Plus second generation to help put my son to sleep in our shared bedroom, and it works like a charm. Before using the Hatch, I’d have to rely on my Alexa device for lullabies or white noise and a separate lamp for his bedtime routine. The Hatch is easily controlled by the app on your phone. It can play lullabies, and a new feature called “tuck-ins” lets you leave bedtime messages recorded by you or other family members. This is ideal if you have grandparents who live far away or if you’re a working mom and want to feel closer to your child at bedtime if you can’t be there. I tried out this function when my husband was away on a work trip recently, and our son loved hearing his voice in his absence. To get access to these features, you will need a Hatch subscription, which is $49 for the year or $4.99 a month.
You can’t go wrong by gifting a pair of Lululemon’s Align leggings. The Aligns were the only leggings I was able to wear throughout my entire pregnancy and postpartum. There must be something in the fabric that keeps the shape of the leggings but offers plenty of stretch in the waistband. These soft and weightless leggings come in a variety of lengths and are appropriate in yoga, bootcamp class or lounging. They’re also long-lasting so the mom in your life is sure to get lots of use out of it.
A pair of socks as a gift sounds underwhelming, but a comfortable and cushioned pair can make a difference in your workout experience. Bombas offers socks for different types of activities ranging from running to golf and lifestyle. I like wearing Bombas socks when I go for a run because my feet and ankles feel well supported and the wicking material keeps them dry. They also come in a variety of colors so you have plenty of styles to choose from.
If your mom likes keeping track of her steps or other data on her smartwatch, a stylish watchband can be a good way for her to change up her look. WithIt offers bands for Apple, Garmin, Fitbit and Samsung smartwatches and has a variety of styles. You can select from silicone, mesh, leather, steel and nylon bands to fit the appropriate smartwatch. WithIt also offers AirPod cases, AirTag clips and reading lights if you want to add a little something extra to your gift.
If the mom in your life is known to take HIIT, Crossfit classes or works a job where she’s on her feet all day, chances are she’s frequently sore. A massage gun can be a good tool to have around to soothe those aching muscles. Our top pick is the Theragun Elite, since it’s heavy duty but easy to operate and offers 16 millimeters of amplitude, which means it gets deep into muscles.
The Pilates-loving mom will appreciate a Pilates kit for her home workouts. Jennifer Aniston swears by the Pvolve Method, which is a low-impact Pilates class that states that its method is clinically backed by various experts on its clinical advisory board. Pvolve can be taken in one of its boutique studios or at home. There are various kits to pick from for home use, but the Signature bundle includes the P.ball, P.band, a precision mat and a Pvolve membership, which you can stream at home.
If you know a mom who wants the personal training experience, but doesn’t have time to head to the gym, the Future app can be the next best option. The Future app connects members virtually to coaches across the country with different training backgrounds, so you’re sure to connect with one who is the right fit for your needs. I used the Future app prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and postpartum. The workouts are easy to follow, complete with video demonstrations and coach cues. And if you have any questions, it’s easy to connect with your coach via the built-in chat. This is an attainable way to get a taste of personal training without leaving your home while still having someone hold you accountable.
If the mom you’re shopping for is in full training mode for a race, she’s going to need a running belt that stays in place and can store all of her belongings. I’m a fan of the Flipbelt because it has compartments all around, and the Zipper version keeps your items secure. What makes it appealing is that it blends in with your waistband and isn’t bulky like some other running belts on the market. I’ve been able to store my ID, keys, earbuds, cash and more while out on long runs, short runs and even running errands. They’re also available in various sizes and colors so you can get the most customized fit.
If your mom is always on-the-go but likes having protein shakes or smoothies after a workout, a good blender that takes up minimal space goes a long way. The Nutribullet Pro Plus is one of the newest models of the personal blender. It has more extraction power and a pulse cycle that gives you more control on the consistency of the beverage. It also has the ability to blend up seeds and nuts better, so you have a smooth shake every time.
If your mom loves to hike or other outdoor adventures, she’ll enjoy the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The second iteration of the Apple Watch Ultra is a smartwatch that can do it all. It has all the features of the original Apple Watch Ultra including sensors that can read biomarkers such as your heart rate, blood-oxygen levels and more. Its emergency features include international emergency calling, emergency SOS and crash detection, so Mom will stay safe no matter where she ventures off to. Newer features she can enjoy are the night mode and a brighter screen display.
More Mother’s Day gift ideas
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Fitness
Boutique Fitness Is Redefining How Americans Work Out. Which Drop-In Classes Are Worth Booking?
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In January 2025, I attended my first bootcamp class.
I had spent the day hunched over my laptop, anxious and craving an intense workout that would dispel my worries. I booked the class at a nearby gym, and the five-star reviews promised the all-consuming exercise I wanted: “Militant style instructor, but very motivating,” read one. Another: “Hardest workout of my life; extremely rewarding.”
The gym was no-frills – just a room with a mirror. After a standard warm-up, we did four sets of lateral shuffle push-ups across the floor, interspersed with standing, weight-bearing exercises.
When my turn came, I dropped to plank position and started doing steady, shallow reps, focusing on my form.
But caution soon fell away. Upbeat music was booming and someone was always advancing beside me. When the instructor encouraged us to lower all the way down, I obeyed, even though my form suffered. I had rarely done more than a handful of pushups at a time, and in the final set, I was exhausted, collapsing on every rep and barely prying my torso off the floor.
The rest of class was a blur. I became nauseated, told the instructor I needed to pause, and stepped outside to suck cold winter air into my lungs.
Back in the studio, I sat on the sidelines and waited for the dizziness to recede before slinking to my spot for the core section and cooldown.
Later that night, I felt what I thought was typical post-workout muscle soreness. I was satisfied; the ache was proof of a successful workout.
But the next day, lifting my arms to wash my face was exhausting. Searing pain kept me awake that night. Two days after the class, my arms were so stiff I couldn’t raise them more than a few inches, even to brush my teeth.
When I Googled my symptoms – pain, weakness and a new one, dark urine – something frightening came up: exertional rhabdomyolysis, a condition wherein extreme exercise causes muscle cell contents to flood the bloodstream, potentially overwhelming the kidneys. One article warned that debilitating pain after a new, intense activity was a sign to visit the emergency room.
I went to the ER but suspected I was overreacting. After all, the internet always offers the worst possibility.
Doctors use bloodwork to test for exertional rhabdomyolysis; typically, they diagnose it if a patient has too much of a muscle enzyme called creatine kinase (CK) in their blood – at least 1,000 units per liter, or five times the normal range. However, there is little consensus on this number, says Dr Barry Boden, an orthopaedic surgeon at The Orthopaedic Center in Maryland, who specializes in sports medicine. Some recent guidelines suggest that only higher amounts – as much as 10,000 units – warrant diagnosis and inpatient treatment.
My CK count was so high the machine in the emergency room couldn’t measure it; a nurse had to do a second blood draw and send it to a more precise lab. They put me on an IV drip and eventually reported the exact number: 57,000.
Thus began my seven-day hospital stay. My mom and sister traded shifts, acting as my arms for the week – scrubbing my teeth, feeding me, washing my face. I had never felt so helpless and irresponsible. What had I done to myself?
What is exertional rhabdomyolysis?
Normally, during exercise, muscles tear a little and then rebuild. There may be a little extra CK in a person’s blood as a result, which healthy kidneys can filter out.
But excessive exercise can harm muscle cells so much that their contents – including CK and a protein called myoglobin – overload the system. “When the cell membrane starts to break down, the chemicals within the muscle cells start to get released, which can cause damage to other organs around the body,” said Boden. “ If there’s enough of those chemicals from the muscle that reach the kidney, it can cause damage to the kidney.”
The symptoms are muscle pain (even while at rest), weakness and dark urine, though few people experience all three. Treatment involves early and aggressive administration of IV fluids to help the kidneys filter the toxins. It’s possible to manage a mild case with at-home oral hydration, but it’s always important to consult a doctor because mild symptoms don’t always mean low CK elevation, said Dr Petr Schlegel, a CrossFit trainer and professor at the department of physical education and sports at the University of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic.
Exertional rhabdomyolysis is dangerous and fatal in very rare cases; researchers estimate that 10% of patients develop acute kidney injury (AKI), and some suffer other serious complications.
How common is exertional rhabdomyolysis?
Before I had rhabdomyolysis, I had never heard of it; I thought the worst that could come from a workout was a broken bone or a regurgitated lunch. I now know it can happen to anyone, although people with certain conditions, such as sickle-cell trait and hypokalemia, are predisposed. Despite the common misconception that only unfit people can get it, even elite athletes are susceptible.
“Anybody can get it – anybody that’s pushed to an extreme, taking a big jump in their exercise level, or doing something they’re not used to doing,” said Boden. “Everybody has muscles, and if the muscles are damaged enough, you can develop rhabdomyolysis.”
Boden authored a study estimating there were over 40,000 exertional rhabdomyolysis cases in US hospitals from 2000 to 2019. But he said it’s impossible to get a precise count, as no organization collects the data.
This number is likely an underestimate, as the condition is probably under-reported, said Schlegel. Since the symptoms closely resemble those of delayed onset muscle soreness – the normal ache people expect after a workout – individuals may not seek care.
Data indicate exertional rhabdomyolysis is on the rise. In Norway, Australia and the US, researchers have observed an increase in hospital records between the 2000s and 2010s. This year, hospitals in a Canadian province reported a surge in cases.
Researchers suspect the popularity of high-intensity workouts is behind the rise. They are efficient and produce measurable progress, but are risky if misused, said Schlegel: “Evidence suggests that high-intensity exercise, especially when combining strength and endurance elements, carries the greatest potential to induce [exertional rhabdomyolysis].”
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Can you prevent exertional rhabdomyolysis?
Prevention guidance has been pretty consistent since the earliest studies from the 1960s: vary exercises to avoid overloading one muscle group, incorporate rest, and gradually build intensity when starting something new or after time off.
Starting low is especially important when targeting large muscle groups – such as biceps, triceps and quads. “It’s that hyperintense going from zero to 100, really intense workouts of large muscle groups, that puts people at risk,” said Dr Bryant Walrod, a sports medicine physician and the head team physician for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Weight matters, but so do reps; an outrageous number of low-weight exercises or calisthenics – hundreds of pushups or squats, for example – is the trigger in many cases. Walrod also advises doing a different kind of workout from one day to the next.
Eccentric exercises like push-ups – where muscles lengthen – are particularly likely to cause injury. In a 2024 article about how to prevent rhabdomyolysis in student athletes, the National Federation of State High School Associations called push-ups the “No 1 cause” of rhabdomyolysis. In April, Texas families filed a lawsuit against a charter school after 20 children were hospitalized after hundreds of pushups.
Walrod said collegiate sports professionals became more vigilant about prevention after University of Iowa football players were hospitalized with exertional rhabdomyolysis in 2011. “That case spurred better control of workouts, better monitoring, and better input from the trainers and strength coaches.”
“Where we see most of the cases is that athletes are being pushed or threatened or punished [contrary to industry standards],” said Dr Rebecca Stearns, COO at the Korey Stringer Institute for preventing sudden death in sports. Coaches are not exercise physiologists, and even when well-intentioned may not have adequate training to prevent overexertion, said Boden.
Similarly, there’s no guarantee fitness instructors understand the risk. “People may be going in unconditioned and doing too much too soon,” said Walrod of these classes. CrossFit incorporated prevention into its trainer curriculum after reports of severe cases among participants, but in general, class participants should self-monitor.
How do you identify overexertion?
I was discharged from the hospital with a firm instruction: no exercise except walking for a month. I had to learn what an appropriate challenge felt like – how to self-monitor, discern between safe discomfort and overexertion, and advocate for myself. But when is hard too hard?
Unfortunately, sensing that something is wrong is a subjective measure; there is no universal metric.
“I never have a very satisfying answer to that, but I do think it’s a line we need to be vigilant about always, and it changes from day to day,” said Dr Natalia Petrzela, author of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession, longtime fitness instructor, and professor of history at The New School.
“You know your body the best, and if you feel like something isn’t right, it’s time to speak up,” said Walrod. Sports medicine physicians advise people to stop exercise immediately if unusual pain occurs; in the event that there is excessive muscle breakdown, it’s critical to stop the movement right away.
Speaking up in a class setting can be difficult. Many feel self-conscious about pausing or modifying activity, especially if an instructor is singling them out. Petrzela said that she motivates participants in her class but also expresses a key caveat: “Only you know what you can do today.” She said this language “helps [them] find that very important and difficult-to-discern line”, adding that this nuance might get lost in classes with less experienced instructors who give inflexible instructions.
During that fateful class, I ignored the alarm bells. Maybe I was desperately chasing endorphins or wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t weak. Ironically, my arms atrophied to below baseline as a result.
Over a year later, I’m still building my strength back – but not at bootcamp. I opt for low-impact methods such as barre and pilates where I can modify if needed, and there is no need to keep pace with others.
Sometimes I tell instructors about my medical history, so they understand what’s happening if I pause. Verbalizing it also reminds me to be careful. Finally, I avoid anything new or especially difficult when I’m having a hard day.
Fitness culture taught me that pain is gain – but now I know that’s not always true.
10
Fitness Point gym has state of the art machines to help in health exercises.
KIGALI – There are 10,080 minutes in a week. Health experts recommend that adults spend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week in order to build a healthy body.
For those who prefer structured workouts, three one-hour gym sessions amount to just 180 minutes, less than two percent of the time available over seven days.
It is a surprisingly small investment for something associated with better heart health, stronger muscles, improved mental wellbeing and reduced risk of many chronic diseases.
That simple idea found an unlikely ambassador recently when Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, reflected on a birthday gift he had given himself.
“Healthy habits are the best gifts we can give ourselves,” he wrote after completing a demanding hike to the summit of Karisimbi volcano.
Many people may admire the endurance behind the journey but perhaps the most powerful part is the reminder that good health is rarely built through one extraordinary achievement. It is built through habits repeated week after week.
The Growing Urban Philosophy
A lady working out at a Fitness Point gym located in Gacuriro.
Every evening across Kigali, people filter through the doors at various Fitness Point’s branches carrying laptops, gym bags and the fatigue of another workday to quietly bring that philosophy to life in a different setting.
In Remera, Gacuriro and Kimihurura, some arrive before sunrise, squeezing in a session before the office. Others come long after business hours, determined to honour a promise they made to themselves despite packed schedules.
They are not training to conquer volcanoes or prepare for competitions. Most are simply trying to become healthier than they were yesterday.
As work becomes increasingly desk-based and daily routines leave little room for movement, the challenge is not understanding that exercise is important. It is finding a way to make it part of ordinary life.
For many, that begins with putting just three appointments on the calendar each week.
Consistency Better Than Intensity
Jean Baptiste Muganza, a Kigali-based physiotherapist and frequent guest at Fitness point, says one of the biggest misconceptions he encounters even in his work is that meaningful health improvements require extreme effort.
“People often believe they have to exercise every day or spend several hours in the gym before they can see results. In reality, consistency matters much more than intensity,” he says.
A structured routine done regularly, he says, delivers far greater benefits than occasional bursts of very demanding exercise. And the benefits extend well beyond appearance.
“We see improvements in cardiovascular health, muscle strength, posture, flexibility and energy levels. Regular exercise also plays an important role in managing stress, improving sleep quality and reducing the physical effects of spending long hours sitting,” he explains.
Ironically, he says, the hardest exercise often happens before anyone touches a treadmill or lifts a weight.
“The biggest challenge isn’t completing the workout. It’s building the habit. Once exercise becomes part of your weekly routine, it stops feeling like an obligation and becomes part of your lifestyle,” Muganza says.
Leading by Example
Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana recently took a hike to the top of Karisimbi volcano as a birthday gift to himself.
That change is becoming increasingly visible at Fitness Point, where trainers say members are arriving with goals that seem less visible but perhaps more valuable than just chasing dramatic body transformations.
Many are seeking something lower stress, better mobility, freedom from persistent back pain, improved fitness and enough energy to keep pace with demanding jobs and family life.
The gym itself has gradually evolved into more than a room filled with equipment. Before work, it offers a fresh start. After work, it becomes a place where the pressures of the day give way to movement.
Between those moments, friendships are formed, routines are strengthened and small victories accumulate, one workout at a time.
That is perhaps why Minister Nsanzimana’s message resonated with so many people. Healthy habits are gifts not because they require extraordinary effort, but because they reward ordinary consistency.
A birthday hike or a workout at the gym may inspire thousands, but the habit that made it possible was almost certainly built long before that day.
For most people, good health may begin in a neighborhood gym, during an evening workout after work, or in the simple decision to dedicate less than two percent of an entire week to taking care of the one body they have.
Sometimes, the smallest investment of time turns out to be the one with the greatest returns.
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