Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas for Ballerinas and Runners

If you’re anything like me, you’re totally guilty of waiting until the last minute to buy gifts (in fact, I’m even in the process of working on some crafts as gifts right now.  Here’s some recommendations of my favorite things lately:

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FlipBelt

I love love my flipbelt. I mostly use it for running, but if I take a class outside of my normal studio (where I normally feel comfortable leave my belongings in my bag), I'd wear it to keep my phone, ID and cards on me. It's pretty awesome. Read my review of it here Use code Sweat10 for 10% off or email me at aballerinaproject at gmail dot com for a 30% code.

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Fleecys Keeping Dancers Warm

I just found out about these and bought myself a pair--but I'm already pretty sure HQ is buying me a second pair to wear to ballet class in the winter.

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Zensah Socks and sleves

I love my compression socks, sleeves (and leggings too!). Zensah sleeves are my favorite, and they are by far the most comfy.

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Adult Booties - Style Number: IM009

Although these are sold out a lot of the time, they're worth the wait. I have a large pair in red, and I'm waiting on a second (smaller) pair on backorder in purple.

Disclaimer: I’ve received a Flipbelt for free and have received Zensah socks for free in the past as well, but my opinions are my own.

Why I love Compression Gear: Zensah Socks and Sleeves

I love my compression socks, sleeves (and leggings too!). I have about six different pairs of compression socks and three different pairs of compression sleeves.  By far, the best pair of socks I have are the Zensah compression socks that I won in a #runchat tweet chat a few months ago. I recently bought a pair of Zensah sleeves that I love, too.

Why does compression gear work? Zensah’s got a great blog post on it, but here are some main points:

  •  Compression improves circulation and oxygenated blood flow to improve performance and enhance recovery.
  • Improved circulation reduces the buildup of lactic acid
  • Enhance athlete’s warm-up by increasing the temperature of the skin and the muscle
  • Provide an extra support to stabilize the muscle tissue, reducing inflammation and micro trauma

I mostly wear socks for recovery, but I’ll use my Zensah sleeves during ballet and sometimes while running.

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Chilling in my Zensah socks in my messy room

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