Presents fit for the fitness buff on your list

If you’ve got a fitness enthusiast on your holiday list, the world is your gym bag when it comes to gift ideas. Buy a health club membership to get someone started, surprise them with some new apparatus, such as stability balls or kickboxing gloves, to give them a new twist on a boring routine. Or pick up some fashionable fitness apparel.

If those ideas aren’t what you had in mind, here are a few others, for the uninitiated to the person for whom money is no object:

For the at-home exerciser: Exercise tapes are a great way to get in shape, but working out to the same one every day can get boring fast. Netflix is an online DVD movie-rental service with more than 100 titles, including popular yoga, Pilates, dance and strength conditioning workouts. With a gift membership, users can rent as many DVDs as they can sweat to each month, with a maximum of three titles out at any given time. Once a title is returned (via a prepaid return envelope), the next on their list is automatically sent to their mailbox within three days. A one-month membership is $19.95. Visit www.netflix.com for more information.

For a more traditional approach, check out Workouts for Women, a 120-minute DVD that features 10 interactive total body circuit training routines. Available for $29.95 through www.workoutsforwomen.com or by calling (727) 391-0251.

For the gym-goer: There’s nothing more uncomfortable than walking around in smelly workout clothes. Now some companies are offering apparel woven with tiny threads of silver ionized yarns designed to keep the stink out of sweaty clothes. Try Hot Chillys Sports bras, capris, tops and winter socks, all laced with the antimicrobial Biosilver. Apparel runs from $15 to $50. Visit www.hotchillys.com for store locations.

For the unmotivated: Sure, a personal trainer will do the trick, and you can find good ones in any area of the country at websites run by the American Council on Exercise (www.acefitness.org) or the American College of Sports Medicine (www.acsm.org). Expect to pay about $60 on average for a one-hour session. If that’s not in your price range, consider the next best thing: For $29.95 you can purchase a three-month membership to MyFitnessExpert .com. Gift recipients can choose a trainer, tailor their goals -- whether they want to lose weight or lower their long-term health risk. Through e-mail, the trainer develops a customized, daily training program based on the person’s fitness level, lifestyle, work, family and travel schedule. There are also cool online tools to calculate body fat, heart rate range and optimal weight range. Visit www.myfitnessexpert.com for more information.

For the stockings: Consider subscriptions to bestselling fitness magazines such as Fitness and Shape. Or try Matt Roberts’ book “newbody” (DK Publishing, $15), which features a series of exercise workouts designed for four body shapes: the pear, hourglass, tube and apple.

For the ultimate experience: Treat your loved one to a weeklong getaway at a top spa. He or she can receive expert medical advice, personalized exercise programming, nutritious gourmet meals, and participate in classes.

And here’s some holiday gear to consider:

* Fitness Caddy: This all-in-one tote holds your water bottle, gym membership card, license, money, keys, a towel, cellphone or glasses. Available for $14.99 at www.fitnesscaddy.com.

* BodyTrends Complete Core Conditioning Home Pilates Studio Solution: Here’s a great gift for anyone into the core-strengthening program known as Pilates. This system includes a Pilates flexible ring, stability ball, three levels of fitness bands, yoga/Pilates mat and two instructional videos for $91.99. Visit www.bodytrends.com or call (800) 549-1667 for more information.

* Digisette Dual-Sports: Cross an MP3 player with a heart rate monitor and this is what you get. The Dual-Sport offers visual and audible alarms to keep users within ideal training zones, along with a digital audio player-FM radio that can clip into a cellphone, MP3 player or even a laptop. Available for $299. Visit www.digisette.com for store locations.

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Debbe Geiger is a writer for Newsday, a Tribune company.