There are some things you can’t stop doing just because the economy is in the dumps. Everyone is paring down. Some are passing up the gas station for the double-bullet benefits of bike riding: cheap wheels, and healthy exercise. Others are eating in more, going to the movies less, diving into DIY projects and creations instead of buying.
   
When the Dow dips, though, it doesn’t make sense to cut back on some things. Like advertising: In a strained economy, it is more of a necessity than ever to stay in the public consciousness. Likewise, de-stressing. Stress exacerbates problems, and it gets in the way of problem-solving.
   
The most readily available de-stresser is exercise. “Study after study has shown the positive effect of exercise, not just on health, but on mental (well-)- being,” said Alisha Krukowski, general manager of Gold’s Gym in the Fan.
   
“Any exercise—moderate or higher resistance—releases endorphins in the brain, which increases feelings of happiness and well being,” added Krukowski.
   
We’ve all used the excuse that joining an exercise facility costs. The folks at Gold’s, however, have used Fat-O-Nomics to prove you might actually save money by joining a gym.
   
According to Fat-O-Nomics, overweight people go to the doctor more than those who maintain a healthy weight, and they miss work more, too. According to Gold’s, fat people even use more gas in their cars. You don’t have to be a scientist to know that it takes more fuel to pull more weight. Fat-O-Nomics says that obese people burn at least nine more gallons of gas per year than the standard-size human.
   
When you break it down using Fat-O-Nomics, you can’t afford not to get into exercise mode.

Of course, a quiet massage is the ideal de-stresser, as long as you don’t overspend. Hot stone therapy is nothing new, but it is enjoying renewed popularity at local spas as well as around the country. Nothing soothes a body like warm, smooth basalt stones. In fact, some claim that the centuries old Native American treatment induces a near trance-like state. What better way to eliminate stress? 

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Gold’s Gym In The Fan | 8 South Harvie St. | 249.GOLD