You may be tempted to shed your gym membership as the economy sheds jobs, but don't.

Exercise reduces stress, and that, in turn, helps you deal with your loss, look for a job and stay healthy if you lose your insurance on top of everything else.

"When a job loss happens, it is an extraordinarily stressful time for people," said David Duro, vice president and chief operations officer at the Treasure Valley Family YMCA.

The Y is working to help people who have lost their jobs and feel they have to give up their membership for a time. The Y also is reducing fees for some families.

"Exercise is too important to let economics get in the way," Duro said.

Gold's Gym, with three locations in Boise and Meridian, also is trying to keep membership up as the economy goes down.

The gym has stopped asking members to sign contracts that require them to pay monthly fees for a year or more, even if they stop going to the gym. Now, month-to-month memberships are available, said Carolyn Weske, director of client services for MMG, the marketing firm for Gold's Gym.

Other gyms offer similar no-contract deals.

"The main reason people don't want to join a gym is because they don't want to be locked in," Weske said. Now, she said, "If you want out, you can get out."

Gold's Gym memberships range from $19.95 to $39.95 a month for one person, depending on the enrollment fee.

"I know times are tight, but you're looking at less than a dollar a day to keep your stress level down and stay healthy," she said.

Gyms fight boredom. They give you more options for exercise and give you a reason to get out of the house, she said.

Following is a list of places where you can work out in the Treasure Valley. If you see a gym that might work for you, call or check Web sites. Many have too many amenities to list here. Prices and other information can change, but this will give you a good idea of what's out there:

TREASURE VALLEY YMCA

The Treasure Valley YMCA has facilities in Downtown Boise, West Boise, Meridian and Caldwell.

The cost is $62.90 a month for a family, no matter the size. Young adults ages 19-24 pay $38.90 a month. Single adults ages 25-64 pay $41.90 a month. Seniors and children get a discount, too. There's a joining fee of $60 for singles and $120 for families. No one will be turned away if they can't pay.

Downtown Y: 1050 W. State St., Boise. 344-5501.

Amenities: lap pool, recreation pool, kiddie pool and spa; cardio equipment, Technogym equipment, Keiser equipment, Cybex equipment, free weights; two gymnasiums, two cardio/weight rooms, three racquetball courts (two convertible to squash), climbing wall, multipurpose room, teen and family activity center for ages 12-18, youth activity center for ages 6-12, and drop-in nursery for ages 6 weeks to 6 years. Many classes are included in the membership price. Locker rooms include showers.

West Family YMCA and Boise City Aquatic Center, 5959 N. Discovery Way, 377-9622.

Amenities: 50-meter swimming pool, training pool, water slide, kiddie pool with slides and other water toys, hydrotherapy pool; cardio, Technogym, Keiser and Cybex equipment and free weights; two gymnasiums, three racquetball courts (two convertible to squash), climbing wall, community room, multipurpose room, youth activity center for ages 6-18, drop-in nursery for ages 6 weeks to 6 years. Many classes are included in price.

Homecourt YMCA, 936 W. Taylor, Suite 104, Meridian, 855-5711.

Amenities: The Homecourt Y features a sports complex with four full-size basketball courts, six regulation volleyball courts, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Caldwell Family YMCA, 3720 S. Indiana Ave. 454-9622.

Amenities: full gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, climbing wall, locker facilities, teen activity center, youth activity center, lounge and other community resources, exercise and recreation facilities, aquatics center with three swimming pools and a jacuzzi.

ANYTIME FITNESS

This chain delivers on its "anytime" promise. Members can work out at 3 a.m. if they want to. The gyms are franchises. Ownership and prices may vary from gym to gym. Each offers various weight-training options and has treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bicycles and stair-steppers for a cardio workout.

An extra charge may apply for a key that provides after-hours access to the gyms. The company's Web site says several other Anytime Fitness gyms are in the works, but no information was immediately available.

Boise: 6582 S. Federal Way, 343-1865. The least expensive option is $34.95 for one person, with a two-year contract. A joining fee may apply.

Caldwell: 2621 S 10th Ave., Suite 102, 318-3046. Opened in December. First 100 members were to get memberships for $29.95 with a one-year contract. After the first 100 members were signed up, the monthly fee was to increase to $34.95 a month.

Kuna: 1573 N. Linder Road, 922-4622. The least expensive option is $34.95 for one person, with a two-year contract. A joining fee may apply.

Meridian: 80 E. Ustick Road, 884-3338. The least expensive option is $34.95 for one person, with a two-year contract. A joining fee may apply.

Nampa: 2926 E. Greenhurst Road, 461-6655. The least expensive option is $34.95 for one person, with a two-year contract. A joining fee may apply.

Nampa: 355 Caldwell Blvd., 465-4400. The least expensive option is $29.99 a month for one person, with a one-year contract.

Star: 11221 W. Hercules Drive, No. 105, 286-0943. The least expensive option is $29.95 a month for one person, with a one-year contract. No joining fee.

CURVES

Curves bills itself as the largest fitness franchise in the world. This workout center for women has about 12 sites across the Treasure Valley. Curves can help women burn up to 500 calories in a 30-minute cardiovascular and strength-training session. Members get an initial assessment and then exercise two muscle groups at a time at a pace that fits their needs.

Special programs are available for people with arthritis or other conditions.

Women join to stay fit or to lose weight, said Judy Paseo, owner of Curves in Meridian and Kuna. A coach always is on duty to make sure women perform exercises correctly. Curves recommends women come in three times a week, but members are welcome to come as often as they want. Meal plans are among added benefits. Fees: up to $39 a month, with a one-time service fee of $199.

Boise: 8960 W. Ardene St., 378-4740; 911 W. Jefferson St., 433-0141; 2139 S. Broadway Ave., 343-2567

Caldwell: 2523 S 10th Ave., Suite 103, 453-1920

Emmett: 102 S. Commercial Ave., 398-7787

Garden City: 6738 Glenwood Ave., 853-0700

Meridian: 3979 E. Overland Road, 895-0353; 2053 E. Fairview Ave., No. 105, 846-9514

Mountain Home: 356 N. 2nd E., 580-1017

Nampa: 1312 S. Edgewater Circle, 461-4534

FITNESS 19

The motto here is, "Where you can afford to get fit." It's called Fitness 19 for a reason. Most members pay $19 a month, with no contract requiring them to sign up for longer. Family members can be added for about $9 each. (You'll also pay a small enrollment fee.)

The Boise area has three locations

3658 S. Findley Ave., off Federal Way, Boise 387-1919

3361 N. Cole Road, Boise, 376-9119

3210 E. Chinden Blvd., Garden City, 939-7669.

The "no-frills" gyms have plenty of cardio machines - treadmills, stair-steppers, elliptical trainers, recumbent and upright bicycles - along with circuit training and a large area for free weights.

GOLD'S GYM

The Treasure Valley's three Gold's Gyms, one in Meridian and two in Boise, "combine the most diverse amenities in the industry with the best personal training," according to the Gold's Gym Web site.

Amenities at the full-service gyms vary by location, said Weske, director of client services. She said they include: swimming pool; basketball court; racquetball court; cardio theater; free weights; Selectorized equipment for workouts; group classes such as spinning, yoga and Pilates; full Les Mills lineup (gym officials say this is a popular group workout); child care; women-only workout areas; personal training; body assessments; visual fitness planner; nutrition programs; supplement programs in which trainers help members figure out which supplements and vitamins they need; tanning; pro shop; sauna; steam room; hot tub. Single memberships cost $19.95 to $39.95 monthly, depending on the membership type. Family members can be added. Rates vary, Weske said. Locations and phone numbers:

Meridian: 1455 S. Country Terrace, or call 323-4653.

Boise: 801 E. ParkCenter Blvd., 345-4653; 7316 Fairview Ave., 377-4653.

IDAHO ATHLETIC CLUB

Idaho Athletic Club has six locations in the Valley. It offers memberships for as low as $35 a month, with an enrollment fee that varies. Amenities listed for the Black Eagle Club in Boise are: Next Step certified personal trainers, Hammer Strength equipment, group fitness classes, Lifecycles and treadmills, cross trainers, circuit weight training, free weights, child care, sauna and steam room, pool, half-court basketball.

Boise: Black Eagle Club, 1435 S. Maple Grove Road, 376-6558; State Street Club, 2999 N. LakeHarbor Lane, 853-4224.

Caldwell: Caldwell Club, 4623 Enterprise Way, 459-0729.

Eagle: Eagle River Club, 950 E. Riverside Drive, 938-8410.

Meridian: Silverstone Club, 2340 S. Eagle Road, 884-5251; Meridian Club, 1450 E. Fairview Ave., 888-0060.

Nampa: Nampa Club, 4217 Garrity Blvd., 442-6378

TOTAL WOMAN

Total Woman Fitness, 1710 W. Cherry Lane, Meridian, is owned by the Idaho Athletic Club. It offers certified personal trainers, Hammer Strength equipment, kickboxing, yoga/Pilates, cycling room, aerobic and step classes, Lifecycles and treadmills, cross-trainers, circuit weight training, free weights, yoga studio, yoga wall, child care. 888-9192.

PLANET FITNESS

Planet Fitness, 6843 N. Strawberry Glenn, Suite 150, Garden City, sets itself apart by being a "judgment-free zone" for regular people, manager Joel Stinton said. It has enough cardiovascular equipment to ensure that no matter how busy the gym gets, no one has to wait for a machine. It also throws in free classes for people who want to learn how to use equipment or develop a program to strengthen and tone their bodies.

Pricing information: $10 a month, with a month-to-month commitment. Year-long contracts are not required. Enrollment fee is $39. 853-8200.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FITNESS

After your workout at Rocky Mountain Fitness in Eagle, you can work on your tan or get your hair done, all without leaving the premises. There's also a cafe. An on-site baby-sitting service lets parents drop off their kids for several hours while parents shop, run errands or take a much-needed nap. That service costs $4 per hour for each child.

There's also a facility in Southeast Boise. The two gyms offer similar services. They provide a lot of extras, but they have not neglected the basics, which include weights, treadmills, stationary bicycles, swimming pools, group fitness classes, child care and more.

"It's a smaller gym than most of the gyms we have around here," said Becca Cross, operations manager of the Eagle site. "We know a lot of the people here, so it's kind of like family."

Pricing: The least expensive option for one person is $19.95 a month, with a two-year contract. For $24.95 a month, members can get a one-year contract. Other pricing is available. Enrollment fees vary.

Boise: Boise Club, 555 W. ParkCenter Blvd., 342-7359.

Eagle: Eagle Club, 875 E. Plaza Drive, 939-3878.

BOUTIQUE GYMS, ETC.

If you want more personal attention, the Valley has scores of small studios offering yoga, Pilates and other personalized workouts. Depending on the workouts you choose, the price may be higher than at gyms with bigger herds. Below is a snapshot of a few of them:

A Body in Balance, 230 W. Mallard Drive, Suite B, Boise, 331-2098. The owner of this Pilates studio, Karin DeBenedetti, mainly teaches one-on-one classes because, "You actually learn what you are supposed to do," she said. The point of Pilates is to strengthen the core of your body. Her classes cost $55 for an hour of one-on-one instruction and $12 for a group class.

Peak Performance Personal Training, 8700 Fairview Ave., Boise, 377-0199. This is one-on-one training to help you meet your fitness goals.

"Most of the general public is trying to lose a little weight, get a little stronger," said owner Craig Toth, who also trains professional athletes and works with bodybuilders.

The cost depends on the services you use. An hourlong, one-on-one session with a trainer costs $45 to $65. Half an hour is around $30. The first session is an evaluation to assess your goals in training.

ProFitness, 910 E. Franklin Road, Suite 104, Meridian, 859-9907. This is a personal training studio offering one-on-one or small group workouts tailored to each member's needs. It also offers classes intended to make workouts fun. There's a strip tease dance fitness class, a Latin fitness dance class and a Gymstick class. A Gymstick is a band attached to a stick that offers a cardiovascular, muscular endurance and flexibility workout.

Pricing: One-on-one sessions lasting an hour cost $35 each. For two people, the price drops to $25. Massage and other services also are available.

Colleen LaMay: 377-6448

The Valley has many other studios focusing on yoga, personal training and nutrition. Check online listings at IdahoStatesman.com/YourHealth for some of the rest as well as for more details and online links for the gyms in this story.