It’s the festive season and the time of year when we should be kicking back, chilling out and spending time with family and friends. What we don’t want is for Christmas Eve to arrive and we are still trawling the shops searching for presents. Avoid that last minute panic over Christmas gifts with our ultimate guide to Christmas gifts for fitness enthusiasts.

For the runners

There is nothing as uncomfortable as cold hands when you are out on a run. We think the best running gloves are the lightweight, slim gloves with touchscreen finger pads made by Columbia. The design means you can access your technology without getting frostbite in your digits and they are so lightweight that you can tuck them into a pocket when you no longer need to wear them.

For the adventure racer

How about a combined food and water bottle? The Blenderbottle Prostak has a clever design which means you can carry water and snacks together. The water bottle is a regular shape but with an integrated holder for dried fruit and trail mix.

For the cyclist

From the eclectic store Not On The High Street, there are some cool gifts for people who love cycling. From cycling-inspired t-shirts to bronze sculptures of cyclists, these are gifts for the true cycling fans.

For the gym-goer

The Acumobility Ball is a great stocking filler for anyone who loves a work out. The dome-shaped piece of kit has a variety of uses, including workout support, stability and muscle and pain relief.

For the Yogi

Add the personalised touch to a Yoga workout with the monogrammed yoga mat from Zazzle. Stylish and in a range of colours, these mats are the perfect gift for the Yoga lover.

If you prefer to give the gift of an experience, how about entering your family and friends into one of the huge range of events that are organised across the region? From park runs to marathons; from triathlons to adventure racing; sportives to mountain biking events – there are heaps of experiences that will both motivate people to train and give them that immense satisfaction once they have completed the challenge. They may hate you at the time but they will appreciate the gift later!

Here are some of the events available in early 2017

Running

For a slightly off-the-wall race, how about the Inflatable 5k in Peterborough on 1 April. It is no April Fool’s joke. This is a 5k race in which competitors have to negotiate 10 gigantic inflatable obstacles.

Cycling

Ware’s Cambridge is a new sportive that is taking place in March 2017. Taking in the rolling hills and beautiful countryside between Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, this is one to set your training sights on. Visit the website for more details.

Adventure racing

From Fun Runner to Ultra Runner and from young adventurers to old pro’s, Runstock packs a 5k lapped off-road course with a glorious summer Festival feel. Suitable for runners from 5 to 95, choose to run solo, with a team or with the whole family. Suitable for runners from 5 to 95, you can choose to run solo, with a team or with the whole family. The idea is to clock as many laps as you wish within the 8 hour time limit. Takes place on 10 June at Boughton Hall in Northamptonshire.

And of course, you can always treat your friends and family to a Christmas gift from Kelsey Kerridge – how about a gym pass or a series of classes? Just the thing to recover from the Christmas period festivities.