Gift Ideas For Coaches and Personal Trainers

Shopping for the perfect gifts for a coach or personal trainer can feel like a real challenge. Coaches are always on the go, often focused on helping others reach their goals, and sometimes, they’re so busy that their own needs get put on the back burner. So, when it comes time to treat them with a thoughtful gift, you might find yourself stumped. What do you get someone who spends their days lifting others up — literally and figuratively?

Don’t worry, though — we’ve got you covered with this gift guide, which is packed full of items that any coach, personal trainer, or fitness instructor will actually love and use. From high-tech sports wearables to gym equipment essentials, these products are practical, thoughtful, and tailored to their fitness-driven lifestyle.

As a certified strength and conditioning specialist who coaches athletes myself, I have plenty of firsthand experience regarding which gifts fitness professionals would find the most useful. But to supplement my firsthand experience, I’ve chatted with other experts, including athletes, coaches, and fitness professionals, to bring you top product suggestions and recommendations from their own wishlists.

Whether they’re training athletes or clients, getting in their own workouts, or giving their sore muscles some TLC, the right gift can make their busy days a little bit easier and a lot more enjoyable. So, let’s dive into a roundup of the best gifts for coaches that will earn you major “gift-giver” status. Whether for their birthday, holiday, or just to say thanks, we’ve got something here for every coach or personal trainer on your list.

Experts Featured in This Article:

Mattie Rogers competed for Team USA Weightlifting at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and is a four-time silver medalist at the World Weightlifting Championships. She has a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from University of Central Florida, and she is the founder of Viicaya.

Tara De Leon, MS, RSCC, CSCS*D, USAW, NASM-PES, FMSC, GGS CPPC, is a weight-neutral personal trainer and 2024 National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) Personal Trainer of the Year. She helps clients feel confident by teaching them to lift weights, take up space, and stop apologizing for their bodies. She is the author of “Hot Mess to Hot Mom” and host of her podcast, “Wellness: Rebranded.”

Madison Kurish, MS, CSCS, is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Holton-Arms School.

Louise Valentine, MPH, CHES, ACSM-EP, CSCS, is the 2023 American College of Sports Medicine Practitioner of the Year and a world-leading perimenopause integrative women’s health, fitness, and running expert at Breaking Through Wellness.

Sharif Tabbah, MPH, CHES, ACSM-EP, CSCS, is a doctor of physical therapy, a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA, and the co-founder of Alkemē Sports Rx.

Alysha Flynn is the founder and coach for What Runs You, LLC, and Every Woman’s Marathon run coach.

Melody L. Schoenfeld, MA, CSCS, was the 2019 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year, a 2020 Personal Fitness Professional’s Personal Trainer of Year finalist, and author of several books, including “Strength Training For All Body Types: The Science of Lifting and Levers.”