The Best Gifts For The Wellness Beginner

The wild world of wellness can be overwhelming. There are so many products to try, yoga poses to figure out how to twist yourself into, and essential oils to apply. If you have a friend who's just dipping their toes into the wellness waters, you may want to get them a gift that will help guide them through the sea of boutique fitness classes, vitamin-spiked lattes, and lavender-scented everything. 'Tis the season to be helpful.

Think of these items as a self-care starter pack. Give them to a friend or keep them for yourself. And though they're all perfect entry-level gifts, seasoned wellness aficionados would love to receive them too.

This wallet-sized pack contains five of Saje's most popular essential oils. They're well-loved for good reason. Each one targets a common issue like stress or pain. My personal favorite is "peppermint halo." I roll it onto the back of the neck near my hairline a few times a day to feel the cooling effect. The other blends are Pain Release (which contains menthol in addition to aromatic oils like chamomile and eucalyptus); Stress Release (which includes lavender, orange, and clary sage); Gutzy (fennel and black pepper); and Fortify (cinnamon and pine needle).

If you're not sure what sort of fitness tool is best for beginners, start with the Fitbit Inspire HR: the best way to skip the intimidating workout class and dive headlong into a new solo wellness journey.

The Nike Joyride Run Flyknit, which came out this summer, is perfect for people who are new to running. It was designed with an eye on impact absorption, so feet will stay fresh even after hitting the pavement for miles. The shoe has strategically placed pockets in the bottom that are filled with hundreds of tiny beads, meant to help the sole of the shoe form to your foot. It also has extra cushioning under the heel. That's great for everyone, but especially for beginner joggers, who may be especially likely to heel strike (which means their heels hit the ground first while running). Plus, they're cute.

I'm not going to lie. No matter who you give this gift to, they will probably laugh when they open it. But wearing slippers is the best way to walk down the avenue of self care, and these puppies (literally; those are corgis in the picture, but you can cop a dumpling version too) are heated. They'll keep your friends' toes toasty all winter, and they'll bring a smile to their face every time they look down.

This gift is chic and it upholds two of the main tenants of wellness: shuteye and self care. The kit comes with a silk eye mask and a rose quartz facial roller. Use the roller before bed to smooth away stress, then slip on the luxe eye mask and drift off to sleep.

One of the main struggles for yoga beginners is figuring out how to tote around the mat. They're bulky and have a habit of coming unrolled at the worst possible moment, leaving you to wrestle with it when you're already running late. The right mat strap can help you avoid the inconvenience. This one is adjustable, comes in eight different colors, and has eyelets to attach a key chain or hand sanitizer to. If you're feeling generous, you could also wrap up a yoga mat or a gift card to a yoga studio.

This book provides plenty of inspo for anyone hoping to get outdoors more. It's a dynamic read full of essays, images, and empowering advice for people interested in exploring the world solo. Don't be surprised if your giftees pack their bags soon after cracking this open.

One of the most beautiful things about fitness and wellness is that you get to do it all in comfortable pants. This pair is on the more affordable side of luxury leggings, while still being super-high quality. They have compression and an above-the-belly-button waist band. And big bonus: they're made from 79 percent recycled polyester. These pants will carry your friend from spin class to the couch for relaxation time. (They make a maternity version too.)

The beauty of ClassPass is that it allows access to various kinds of fitness and wellness studios around many cities. That way, your friends can figure out if they're more into hot yoga or pilates or boxing before committing to a pricey multi-class pack.