Fitness or food?

In this economy, some people are making tough choices. To some, fitness club memberships seem like a luxury, and they may be the first thing you cut in a time like this. But fitness is actually a necessity and here are four reasons why:

1. Exercise is the key to good health. Numerous studies have shown that moderate exercise three to five times a week reduces the incidence of cancer, diabetes and obesity.
2. Cardiovascular activity reduces stress. Pumping your heart pumps up your endorphins—your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters.
3. Keeping fit delays dementia. A study out of Seattle found that older people who work out three times a week have a lesser chance of developing Alzheimer’s.
4. Exercise has long-lasting positive effects on depression. Duke University researchers found moderate exercise to be as effective as drug therapy in 92 percent of depressed patients.

Now, if times get too dire, and $35 becomes a stretch, obviously it’s time to break your contract at the gym. But don’t hang up your tennis shoes. Walking and running are free, as are push-ups, sit-ups, lunges and squats. Stay active and fit, so you can make the best out of this economy—and so it doesn’t get the best out of you.