The festive season is upon us and with it the end of the year sales too. While it's hard to avoid the consumerism that comes packaged with Christmas cheer, you can still buy your loved ones a gift that's going to give them a healthy start to 2013. What better present could you give somebody than the encouragement to get fit?

Everybody, regardless of their age loves gadgets and with the health and fitness industry booming more than ever, there are some exciting and interesting gifts out there.

Psychiatric disorders can be helped through exercise. This is the message that delegates at last month's Psych Congress 2012: US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress were told. There certainly is a body of studies, research and evidence to suggest that not only is exercise useful as part of a therapy program but for certain psychological conditions it can act as a valuable therapeutic treatment.

Exercise is not just about keeping fit, although of course that might be what motivates many of us to hit the gym. Studies also show that regular exercise can also improve your productivity at work. Employees who work out before or during the working day have been found to bring far more to the workplace than a toned body.