Sometimes losing your job means spending a lot of time of the couch. Whether crouched in a fetal position, spooning in ice cream by the gallon, or staring blankly at General Hospital (who knew daytime TV was so amazing?), chances are you’re going to get a bit…blob-like. Let’s go ahead and try to avoid that. Why? Because doctors are expensive, and buying new, ever-larger clothes is expensive, and low self esteem leads to eating even more, which is expensive.

The obvious solution is getting your butt up and going to the gym. Issue? Gyms cost money! What’s a bum like you to do? Luckily, there are plenty of options. A personal favorite is Gymticket.com. I thought I was on my own figuring out which gyms in my neighborhood has free passes, but turns out someone did all the work for me. Check it out. It’s been about 3 months and I’m still gym hopping. Be aware that this makes it harder to form a good gym-going habit, but hey, being jobless is all about changes in routine.

Now let’s say it’s happened – you’ve become the blob and you’re too embarrassed to sweat in front of strangers. No sweat (pun intended). Check out all these online fitness networks springing up all over the place. I like Sparkpeople.com, but you can also search youtube for other fun options from sites like diet.com.  Keep in mind though, not every one who posts a video on youtube is a reliable source of information.  Do a bit of research about the healthiest approaches to your butt sculpting routine.

If you want to be a social exerciser, make a buddy walk or run with you. Take Princess (your neighbor’s Chihuahua) for a stroll. You may even be able to pick up some extra cash dogsitting. And who’s gonna argue with getting paid?

So get off your behind. It may be easy to indulge in self-pity, but give it up after a couple of days. It’s too expensive. And you can’t afford it.