Bad economy got you down? Use it to fuel your fitness program

May 23, 10:35 PMSan Diego Cycling Fitness ExaminerDan Harris

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Bad economy getting to you? Exercise may be the elixer

We are all growing weary of the daily news articles and stories decrying the state of our economy. Regrettably, many of us have personally experienced the pain through diminished income, falling home values, and even employer cutbacks. What does any of this have to do with your fitness, you ask? Well, ironically the situation can actually be a boon to your workout program and health in general.

One of the reasons most frequently cited for skipping workouts is work-related time constraints. For any who have suddenly found themselves with more free time on their hands thanks to work hour reductions or even a layoff, a great investment of this time can be in your fitness program. Not only will your health improve, but your stress levels will be significantly reduced and less mental energy focused on the negative impacts of the economic conditions. Having increased energy, vitality, and fitness along with a better managed stress level will aid your productivity in a diminished work role or even in the employment search ahead.

If you are one of the fortunate souls who are still working a secure job with normal work hours, it is a fairly safe bet that saving money is more important than ever. What better way to kick that idea off in a healthy fashion than to start a commitment to bicycle commuting? Sure, starting slowly is wise but even twice a week of using human-power to get to work can add up to nearly a tank of gas per month (depending on what you drive and how far your commute is). A more tangible way of thinking of that is a nice dinner out courtesy of your bike. Obviously, that doesn’t even account for the huge fitness dividends that will be reaped from this commute commitment.

So whether employed full-time, part-time, or no-time, your time and energy is always well invested in your fitness. Use the downturn to your advantage and you will come out ahead in more ways than one.