Seeking relief from unemployment, many are heading for the gym. The Chicago Sun-Times reported this morning that gyms are seeing more unemployed members working out.

Just getting out of the house can help, especially if it leads to a valuable new contact. A regular fitness regime also lowers stress and can improve your health - 2 valuable benefits.

If you do find yourself out of work and belong to a health club, talk to the manager about getting a discount on your monthly fees. They might just work with you on a reduced payment plan. They may even offer you a job. At the very worst, they'll simply say "no", so you have nothing to lose.

If you have asked for a discount and gotten one, let us know how you did it. You can either comment to this post or send us an email via our contact page.