Looking for a change this Christmas?  Want to give your loved ones something a little healthier than chocolates or other high-calorie edibles? Remember - New Years is right around the corner, and one of the top resolutions is to lose weight and get in shape. Why not give your family some stocking stuffers that will give them a head start?  Here are five suggestions…

1)   Pedometers. A pedometer tracks how many steps you take a day and lets you evaluate how close you are to meeting the suggested 10,000 steps per day. Just wearing a pedometer often encourages you to walk more. They come in every style and color, and in every price range. Simple ones that just track steps may be as little as a few dollars, while complicated ones that remember how many steps you walked over a week, or have an interface for a computer, will be more expensive. Many also tell you how many miles you walked, and how many calories you burned. Get them for your whole family and you can all count your steps together.

2)      Light hand weights. Three or five pound hand weights make great stocking stuffers for women. Using weights helps to develop bone mass and prevent osteoporosis. Plus, it helps to tone muscles and improve posture. In the elderly, working out with light hand weights has been found to improve balance and coordination, as well as muscle tone.

3)      An exercise DVD. There are so many to choose from that you are certain to find a fun one for every member of your family. Kickboxing for your brother. Hip-Hop for your sister. A walking DVD for mom. A Latin Dance DVD for your husband. The possibilities are endless. Consider giving one that you both can use, such as a parent/child or couples yoga DVD.

4)      Fruit. Yeah - I know - you’re saying “what??!! Fruit??!! Is she kidding??” When fruit wasn’t as common or available as it is now, it was perfectly acceptable to give apples or oranges in a stocking. (Anyone who has seen old episodes of “Little House on the Prairie” knows this.) I’m not suggesting apples and oranges however. Why not give an exotic or unusual fruit - pomegranate, kumquats, dates, starfruit, etc make interesting stocking stuffers… and won’t stuff your loved one.

5)      Gourmet coffee, tea, or cocoa. Despite the bad rap that coffee has sometimes had, recent evidence is starting to show that there may be health benefits to drinking coffee, including a reduction in the risk of diabetes. Black and green tea are full of antioxidants And cocoa? Well... we all know about the benefits of a bit of chocolate now and then. These little gifts will not kill a diet or New Years resolution, but they are indulgent enough to feel like a treat.

These stocking stuffers will be appreciated, and in some cases (pedometer, DVD, weights) will be used as a healthy treat all year long.