Recessionomics: We're Hitting The Gym More

The tinier our paychecks get and the more penny-pinching we become these days, it seems one industry is busier than ever: Fitness clubs. In fact, while unemployment soars to new highs, the gym- and fitness-club market is on track to grow by more than 2 percent this year, according to a fascinating story on Bloomberg.com.

Gyms like Equinox and Life Time Fitness report that folks are using the gym more and more often--as way to thwart anxiety and get away from the stress. Equinox is even adding more Zen-minded classes (like yoga, meditation and Power Nap) to keep up with the demand. Also surprising: folks who are unemployed and/or recently laid off aren't cutting off their memberships--they're using their new excess of free time to hit the gym and get in shape.

I love this trend, but let's face it: We can't afford everything we want in the name of our health. Some goodies have to go. Faced with less pennies to spend, what would you nix first? Ready, set...vote! Photo grabbed from 401k at flickr.

poll by twiigs.com