10 reasons to love a recession

Free fitness

What's the official vegetable of good times? The couch potato, of course.

But as gas prices skyrocket, alternative modes of transportation are once again gaining traction. When you ride a bike, walk to the bus stop or hoof it to the train station to commute to work, you get a free workout along with saving gas money.

You can extend your free workout in other ways. Throw in a little cardio (by skipping rope, jogging or rowing) and add some upper body (with push-ups, sit-ups and free weights) and you can save the $35 to $40 a month that CostHelper.com estimates we spend on average for a single fitness club membership.

Bargain SUVs

Not all prices go up in a recession. Case in point: gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. Once gas approached the $3.50 mark, prices of new and used SUVs, pickup trucks and minivans plummeted.

Ford and GM recently announced plant closures and production cuts at their truck and SUV facilities in response to the swift public migration to fuel-efficient compacts and hybrids.

If you've long coveted an SUV, make your move now. Heck, you may drive away with a year or two of free gas in the deal.

Business startup opportunities

What do Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Disney have in common? They all started during economic downturns, as did more than half of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

In fact, entrepreneurial startups by laid-off and downsized employees, managers and executives often help get the economy growing again.

Recessions are a great time to open your own shop: Wages are down, rents are cheaper, competition is scarce and goods and services can be found at a discount. There's no better time to become your own boss.

Growth in gardening

A recession is the perfect time to get back to nature. Bid your lawn service adieu and put your mind and body to work tending your grounds yourself.

The benefits are numerous. Regular gardening provides cardio and strength training, improves flexibility and relieves stress. These health benefits help fight heart attack, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

The fruits and vegetables you grow also encourage a healthier diet. And the money you save by doing the mowing, raking, pruning and mulching yourself will more than pay for your equipment, fuel and next year's plantings.

Musical inspiration

Do economic downturns inspire great music? A case can be made that hard times help produce heartfelt anthems that cut through the anesthetic musical drone of the day. This has been true of everyone from Woody Guthrie to Bruce Springsteen to the Clash and even Kurt Cobain.

Given the current state of popular music and its obsession with an affluence that is quickly disappearing, the climate would seem right for the emergence of new artists who can rekindle passion and urgency in American music.

New perspectives

Perhaps the greatest boon of a recession is the time to reflect and reassess the true meaning and goals of our lives.

For instance, it's doubtful that today's green movement would be where it is today without the small-is-beautiful mental reset of the '70s.

If history is any indication, we humans are inclined to resume our consumption full speed once the economic engine starts rolling again. But our progress toward a more sustainable future comes in increments during those times when we are forced to do without.

We may not yet be ideal stewards of the planet, but we're making progress. Temporary setbacks like recessions prompt our collective course corrections.

This article was reported and written by Jay MacDonald for Bankrate.com.

Published July 2, 2008

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