For the person who is stuck at a desk all day, the Functional Office Package ($114) offers ways to work out while working. The package includes a stability ball (with pump) to replace the office chair and promote ab and back strengthening while sitting, a wobble board as an ankle-friendly footrest, and the Power Web, a 13-inch ring of stretchy holes that let you extend, rotate, and flex your fingers and wrist, helping prevent repetitive strain injury due to excessive mousing. During breaks, use the ball for strengthening and stretching exercises (poster included) and stand on the wobble board to challenge balance and core muscle control.

I'm a connoisseur of active wear—my exercise-and-all-day attire of choice for the past two decades. I discovered Athleta women's athletic wear this year, and it immediately became my favorite brand: great fabrics, great fit, great design, and the most comfortable exercise wear I've worn. The company, based in Petaluma, has its own clothing line (my favorite) and carries a variety of other brands. You can find just the right gift of clothing and accessories for the active woman in your life, whether she climbs mountains, runs, skis, lifts weights, or does yoga.

Jump ropes aren't ropes any more. The Tanita Healthy Jump ($19.99) is a high tech jump rope of adjustable length that tracks the number of jumps and the calories burned. Find it at your local sporting goods store, along with weight gloves, dumbbells, heart-rate monitors, body-fat scales, stability balls, bats, gloves, mitts, goggles, balls, gym bags, shoes, and clothing.

Want a motivating stocking stuffer? Experts recommend taking 10,000 steps a day for health and fitness. A pedometer that counts steps and tracks calories burned and distance covered could be just right to help a reluctant exerciser take more steps a day, or help keep an enthusiastic exerciser on track. Read about what it does and how to use it.

Pilates is one of the hottest exercise trends because it strengthens the core muscles of the trunk for a lean, strong, balanced body. A Pilates video or DVD will please the indoor exerciser in your life. These recommended choices are available from Amazon.com (click through to these titles directly and find more recommended videos here).

Pilates for Beginners is an exceptionally well-designed, 75-minute program that makes Pilates accessible to novice exercisers. Mature and skillful instructor Jillian Hessel teaches the fundamentals and presents a classic Pilates mat workout, with one demonstrator modifying the exercises to make them easier, and another making them more challenging.

Breakthru Pilates Plus is an innovative and powerful 50-minute strength and flexibility workout combining Pilates, ballet, and yoga, recommended for intermediate exercisers. The Pilates segment is challenging and not a repeat of the Pilates exercises you find in most videos. The ballet segment is a series of standing moves, primarily working the calves, thighs and buttocks. The strong yoga segment works the whole body. Tracy York and Michelle Dozois are excellent instructors: clear, motivating, warm, and energetic.

Pilates Workout for Dummies is a 60-minute DVD, ideal for both the first-time and intermediate Pilates exerciser. In the Basic Workout, well-toned instructor Michelle Dozois clearly and patiently presents 18 classic Pilates mat exercises, suggesting modifications. The Intermediate Workout consists of some of the Basic exercises and several new ones, all done at a faster pace and with more challenging instructions.

Other excellent video workouts:

Yoga Journal's Peak Performance Yoga, a four-part, 60-minute yoga practice, offers gentle stretches, dynamic movements, spine flexibility, and a calming, guided relaxation and breathing practice. Instructor Rod Stryker ably teaches this blend of relaxing and energizing postures, suitable for both flexible and less flexible practitioners.

In New York City Ballet Workout, Vol. 2, Peter Martins, Ballet Master in Chief of the New York City Ballet, and four graceful and gorgeous dancers present a beautifully produced, challenging, 90-minute strength and flexibility workout. The workout focuses on the abdominals and lower body, with exercises that ballet dancers use to strengthen and lengthen their muscles. At the end is a ballet routine which becomes a short cardiovascular workout.

Strength train without weights with Dyna-Bands, exercise-weight, latex bands that work muscles with resistance. They come in different intensities to suit your fitness level. These are terrific for people on the go—they fit into a desk drawer, a pocket, or a carry-on bag for instant exercise.

Our nation's children are getting more obese and less active. Let's do our part to change that by showing kids that exercise is fun. Scott Cole's Get Fit America for Kids (VHS $19.95; DVD $24.95) is a great gift. Cole, a warm and motivating instructor, leads children 6 to 12 in a varied program including tai chi, yoga, cardio, conditioning, and flexibility exercises. Children on your gift list will both enjoy and benefit from this gift. Get another copy for your favorite K-6 teacher to use in the classroom.

For more ideas for kids, visit Dr. Toy's Web site where Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. ("Dr. Toy") an expert in play, toys, and child development, recommends the best toys. Take a look at "Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products 2003" and click on "best active products" for gifts that promote physical activity and coordination. For example, the "I Can Do Yoga" video (ages 3 to 12, $17.95) helps children learn the alphabet while doing animal yoga poses. Megaland's Play Hut (ages 3 to 12, $69.99) is a play structure for active play, including a hut with a basketball hoop, large and small cubes, tunnels, and balls. Little Tikes Twist n' Toss, (ages 3 to 5, $29.99) is a creative game using 10 soft balls encouraging group play, fun, and focus. Cranium Hullabaloo (ages 4 to 12, $24.95) is a high-energy game encouraging kids to bounce, twist, spin and dance to music and sound effects as they to move onto colorful illustrated pads spread across the floor.

What good does it do to work out if you don't follow it with a healthy meal? Roxanne's, the internationally famous raw-foods restaurant in Larkspur, California, has made this easier by opening Roxanne's To Go, 316 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur, 924-9088), a gourmet take-out offering superbly tasty convenience meals, snacks, and smoothies—all raw, vegetarian, sensual and delicious. I sampled amazing bursts of flavor from hummus made from almonds, cashews, and garlic on crackers made of golden flax with cayenne and caraway; pizza with herb cheese (non-dairy, made from cashews), avocado, tomato, spinach, olives, and pepper on a chewy golden flax crust (made in a dehydrator); dolmas of parsnips wrapped in chard; pad thai made with coconut noodles, carrots, peppers, bean sprouts, almonds, and tamarind; lemon cheesecake made with cashews and fresh lemons (no cheese) on an almond crust; and a fabulous dark & white chocolate torte. "We try to make every bite a perfect bite," manager Adam Pisano told me, and Roxanne's To Go succeeds. Prices range from $9 to $19 a pound, with smoothies from $4.95 to $5.95. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Did you know that research conducted by the Smell and Taste Foundation in Chicago discovered that men rate the smell of pumpkin pie sexier than any other? You know that working out makes you feel sexy, so sneak some Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub ($35) from) into your sweetie's holiday stocking. It smells like pumpkin pie, orange, and nutmeg, as it exfoliates and cleanses skin. So after you both get home from your workout or sport, scrub it on each other, take a shower together, and let the sweet and spicy smell lead you to your next fitness activity. Enjoy!

The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book: 300 Quick and Easy Exercises You Can Do Whenever You Want ($9.95) is a fine stocking stuffer that will give your giftee a whole year of fitness ideas. New exercisers determined to keep their "This year I'll get in shape!" New Year's Resolutions will appreciate how easy and enjoyable it is to indulge in "fitness minutes" and painlessly create an exercise habit. Experienced exercisers will find new ideas to spark motivation and spice up their regular workouts.

Have a Merry Fitness and a Healthy New Year!