After the election, DC became a bastion for the young and unemployed (i.e. everyone who had quit their jobs to work for the Obama campaign and then made the great migration to the nation's capitol in the hopes of fulfilling their childhood "West Wing" fantasies.) One former campaign staffer told me that her life has only had two constants since November 4th: Netflix and a gym membership. That admission seems to sum up life for most money-stretched DCers: we may not be able to afford a personal trainer, Whole Foods and a new pair of running shoes, but we can get by with a few important health staples.

Working Out

When I began asking around about how exercise habits may have changed in the past six months, a common refrain began to emerge. As a photo editor from a DC-based magazine told me, "I've actually been going to the gym even more. I can't really afford to eat out much or do things like go concerts and baseball games as much as I used to, so instead I've just been working out." Some people told me that they've even been willing to splurge a bit for more luxury gyms like the Washington Sports Club that have indoor pools and onsite classes. Rather than splitting their time between a gym and yoga class, people want to go to one place any time to get everything they want...even if it costs a bit more.

Some others told me that they have quit the gym altogether, and for them it was a money decisions on two fronts: to save money on exercise and on transportation. One junior lobbyist even told me that he was willing to splurge on a really nice Specialized road bike to ride to work each day because he was dropping his $70/month gym membership and saving $4/day on metro fees. A number of new bike shops have opened up in the city, including CycleLife USA, which sells bikes, offers classes, and helps set people up with cycling groups.

Eating Right

Just as DCers are more likely to go with one solid exercise solution, they also seem more apt to buy from one or two solid food sources. It's an easy city to flit between multiple farmers markets, chain grocery stores, local markets, and of course restaurants of every kind. But one Georgetown nursing student told me that she and her friends have started taking group Trader Joe's trips together once or twice a month to stock up on all the essentials and then supplement with whatever produce is on sale at Whole Foods or Harris Teeter. Another Defense Department worker told me that he and his roommates decided recently to band together and get a Costco membership; they take turns paying for a Zipcar to drive out into the county so that they can buy in bulk. They even get a lot of their fresh food, medicine, and vitamins there now!

Staying Healthy

Again, when it comes to health DCers seem willing to spend a little so that they can save a little. A Target moved into the big, up-and-coming Columbia Heights neighborhood last year and has become the mecca for commerce in the area. And what's right next to the Target? The largest Vitamin Shoppe I've ever seen. One political blogger I talked to who always has jars of nutritional powder on him said that he sees it as preventative (he doesn't have health insurance) and feels better when he doesn't eat well if he's at least getting everything he needs through supplements. Another political consultant interestingly used the same logic to explain to me why she's started taking allergy medicine again--usually at least once or twice a year her allergies will escalate to a sinus infection and she said that she just can't afford being sick right now.

The bottom line is that just because things may be a little tight right now, no one in DC is going to let their exercise or wellness slide. As one analyst told me, "DCers are just too obsessed with work to swap out Whole Foods for Wendy's and risk putting [their] job in jeopardy by getting sick or not fitting into a nice suit anymore,"