Here are some healthy Christmas gift suggestions to help keep those New Year resolutions.

Summer’s the time for being out in the fresh air and working off those winter blues with some good healthy exercise. Our suggestions for outdoor games, gadgets and vouchers should inspire the most slothful couch potato into some activity.

The outdoors feeling

Book of walks
Even if the couch potatoes in your life need to work off that post-Christmas bulge, ease them into it. A guide to local walks or a selection of top New Zealand walks will help plan a gentle start to a new exercise regime.

Look in information centres, map shops or good bookstores. Price: $20+.

Pedometer
A pedometer's a small battery-operated device attached to your waistband that counts your steps by detecting the up-and-down movement of your hips as you walk,  making it easy to set goals and get instant feedback.

At 5000 steps or fewer per day, physical-activity researchers will class you as a couch potato; at 10,000 or more you’re active. In between … well … you’re in between but at least you’re a moving target.

Look in sports stores and outdoors stores. Price: $20+.

Walking poles
A walking pole gives extra stability across loose terrain and can relieve stress on the back and knees when you’re descending steep slopes. Poles that can be telescoped for storage or for carrying in a pack are useful but they cost more than simple one-piece poles. The rings at the bottom of some poles are called “baskets” and they stop the pole sinking into mud or soft ground.

Try two poles for rough or mountainous trekking or Nordic walking. Two poles give even more support – or help give a full body workout. For this type of serious use always try before you buy: the pole should be the right height and have a comfortable grip. Look in sports or outdoors stores.

Price: $40+ per pole.

Heart-rate monitor
There’s a monitor for any fitness regime – from the beginner who wants to make sure they’re getting enough from their exercise to the serious athlete reviewing and monitoring their fitness programme. See our test of heart-rate monitors for more info.

Look in sports or outdoors stores. Price: $130+ – but we found some on special for $65.

Hand-held GPS
We said in our test of hand-held GPS units that they're “essential for the navigationally challenged”. It can help you get back from a long tramp and you can also store the latitude and longitude of points of interest, whether it’s a river crossing or a restaurant you stumbled upon in Bangkok … you wish. You can check them later on by entering the coordinates on Google Earth – and show your friends (excellent for finding out which of them has the best eye-roll).

Look in sports and outdoors stores. Price: $195+.

• Tip: A GPS unit is not a substitute for basic compass and map-reading skills. Foliage, cliffs and other obstacles can interfere with a proper reading.

Gift vouchers

A gift voucher for a day pack or tramping gear is also good – with this sort of stuff it’s wise to try before buying.

Try giving gift vouchers for introductory yoga or Pilates sessions. Or what about sailing, horse riding, or salsa dancing lessons? Wellington even has circus-skill classes. You always need some indoor summer activities in the land of the long white cloud.

• Tip: Check out your rights regarding gift vouchers in our Legal rights section.

For the family

A kite, frisbee or hula hoop will help run the kids into the ground without straining the budget or distracting you while you’re on the couch studying that book of walks you’ve just been given.

Other possibilities are: pole tennis or “swing ball” ($30+); croquet (children’s sets start at $40 but a high-quality one can cost up to $700); or a beach volley ball set (from $50 in a toy store to $150+ for a more serious set). Some of these aren’t too physically demanding … but, hey, you’re outdoors and everyone likes to be a winner. Croquet’s good for developing tactics and general strategic nastiness – essential life skills.

Look in sports or recreational stores for these products.

Tents

A tent lets you live the wild life. Depending on the size of the tent, you can also develop planning, assembly and team-building skills … or perhaps not. It won’t be the cheapest present you buy: look on it as an investment in years of cheap holidays in interesting places. Your kids will love you for it, really.  See our tent buying guide for information on choosing a tent, features to look for and how to look after your tent.

Look in sports or outdoors stores. Prices are from around $300 for a two-person dome tent with a vestibule; around $3000 for a three-room canvas frame tent.

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