These are tight economic times, so odds are you're trying to reduce your expenses. And there are certainly lots of opportunities for free exercise. But -- believe it or not -- this might be the best time of all to join a gym.

Sure, gyms care about how fit your bottom is, but they are also businesses and so they definitely care about the fitness of their bottom lines. So far, it's hard to say how the recession is affecting the health-club industry; a survey by the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association found some respondents saying business was up and others reporting a slump. Regardless, when times are tough, many gyms are likely to sweeten the deals to entice new clients to sign up.

This is a good time to join -- bikinis and shorts are getting ready to leap from the recesses of your closet. If you've been considering joining a gym, why not look around and see if you can take advantage of a current promotion? Some great deals to get you started:

• Bally Total Fitness. Until March 9th, Bally Total Fitness is offering a $0 enrollment fee and $29.99 per month.
• Gold's Gym. Many Gold's Gym locations are offering enrollment for only $1 right now. Check with the location near you for details.
• 24 Hour Fitness. If you're a first time-guest, you can get a free seven-day pass to try out a 24 Hour Fitness near you. And many locations are offering a reduced initiation fee and $29.99 monthly fees -- but you have to hurry ... that offer expires on March 5th.
• Crunch. Want a little less commitment? Until March 31st, Crunch is letting you sign up for a month-to-month plan with a $49 enrollment. Plus, they're throwing in two complimentary training sessions.
  

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One of the beautiful things about online shopping is that there are some phenomenal deals to be had. However, unless you spend a portion of most days checking out your favorite online stores, sometimes it's hard to catch the best deals. And, if you're anything like me, you know there's no reason to pay full price for workout clothes -- if you can afford to be patient, the items you need will always go on sale.

Shop It To Me Running is a fast, easy, and commitment-free way to score great deals on the workout clothes you need. From shoes to sports bras, you can select the brands and sizes you'd like to receive updates on, and when those items go on sale, Shop It To Me Running will email you. You can opt to receive notifications daily, twice weekly, or once a week.

While I'm excited to receive my next update, the thing I'm most thrilled about is how much money I could save on shoes. I was able to enter my exact shoe preference (Mizuno Wave Elixir, Size 8). I know it can be scary to order running shoes without trying them on, but if you have a specific brand and model that you've worn (I'm on my third pair), there's really no risk.

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I'm literally a sobbing crying mess as I write this. I fell in love with a dying man a few weeks ago when I caught wind of him giving an amazing gift to his students, colleagues, friends and family at Carnegie Mellon University. Randy Pausch, a computer science professor gave his Last Lecture now famous on YouTube, on September 18, 2007. Randy's lecture was called "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." Now, I have my own spectacular husband, but I imagine anyone who knows, or knows of Randy . . . would love him very much.

For a man whose pancreas is being destroyed by a cancer that could take his life within months . . . he was hysterical, energetic, inspirational, and relentless about the idea that life can be wonderful every day, and that his days still are. He told stories of his childhood and made one of the most insightful statements I've ever heard. "Are you a Tigger or an Eeyore? Choose!"

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Halitosis, the technical term for bad breath (aka oral malodour, apparently), can be an embarrassing and touchy subject. Let's face it, nobody wants to repel people with their breath. There are a range of potential causes for bad breath, some of which are medical and may be helped by a simple visit to the doctor. Others though, have more to do with what you eat and various habits.

If you know you suffer from halitosis and want to try to remedy the situation, it might be worthwhile to take some (or all) of the advice suggested here. Avoiding food like garlic and onions might help, but apparently not eating at all may cause bad breath, so make sure eat a regular, healthy diet. Other tips include staying hydrated as dry mouth can cause foul breath, giving up cigarettes and looking after your mouth and teeth by brushing, flossing and gargling with mouthwash.

As mentioned, if none of these things seem to work, it's probably a good idea to make an appointment to discuss the situation with your doctor.

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I don't think that anyone would be particularly happy to notice that their hair is thinning. It's got to be upsetting for men, but since it's a more common occurrence among that sex, I think that it would be even harder for a women who is losing her hair.

If you've found that your mane isn't as thick as it used to be, is patchy or even starting to show bald spots, you might want to check out this gallery, which offers 20 tips on how to deal with thinning hair. The first, and probably most important tip is to head to your doctor. There may be a reason why you're losing hair and a physician can help you find a remedy.

Additional advice includes improving your diet and taking vitamins to improve hair quality, experimenting with a new hair style that will disguise patches and trying out volumizing or other specialty products to improve the look of your hair. To see the rest of the tips, take a look here.

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I can't imagine what it must be like to be diagnosed with any form of cancer. I can only guess that initially, amoung many emotions, one would feel terrified, angry and upset. I hope that I never have to find out what it's like but realistically, I know that some day I could have to deal with all of these emotions and prepare for battle.

I also imagine that it must help to hear the stories of those who have been where you are, and are surviving. The three women featured here, for example, offer advice on how to deal with cancer but more importantly, they offer hope to those facing a similar fight against the disease.

Donna McGrath, who battled breast cancer, insists that getting out and getting on with life is a good way to deal, Barb Brooks, diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, says that maintaining a healthy mind helped her deal with her overall health and Lina Prevedel, currently in remission from breast cancer, found that her friends and family helped her fight the disease.

To read these women's stories in full, please check out the full article here.

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