Once upon a time, getting fit involved walking into a gym, doing your thing, and then leaving to go about the rest of your day. The only person you’d talk to might be the receptionist or the guy hogging the squat machine. But well… that storyline is over. For many, fitness has evolved into an opportunity to meet people (apparently)

To meet new mates, sure, but increasingly, romantic partners found one in four people who struck up a flirty convo at the gym ended up in a relationship with that sweaty stranger. In the past three years alone, at least half a dozen dating apps have sprung up to match users based on workout goals, making it a lot easier to meet, or should I say, for gym heads to meet and match each other’s physical looks. Because London is a competition now that everyone is into health & fitness now!! Has the traditional dating scene disappeared? What happened to just finding someone normal and attractive??

Watch this!! I found this very amusing.

Of course, sheer convenience plays a role in this trend. Some of us find it convenient that he or she likes to cook, and if you have the same health goals, it makes it a lot easier for both. For some, It makes sense that as we level up the time spent being active, we may have less time for standard socialising or dating included. (Combining the two worlds could look very unromantic) But there’s also a much bigger current at work: the ability to handpick a partner who values healthy living and enjoys the same sweat escape as you could also help optimise your jam-packed schedule.

Is it possible that it’s biological? Is part of the draw of fitness familiarity based on human instinct? Subconsciously, we like people who are similar to us more than those who aren’t. We’re wired to crave comfort, and sameness breeds. But we also seek validation, which is easier to find with someone who shares our specific interests.

Research shows that those who regularly participate in physical activity together actually report greater feelings of relationship satisfaction and being in love. (By the way, the benefit still stands if you linked up before but only recently started using the gym as a pair.) You’ll also have a better shot at forever (this is a very sad notion). Experts say that couples who have similar worldviews, an interest in health and fitness included, are more likely to last in the long run, and 64 per cent of married couples believe shared interests are more important than any other factor for a successful marriage, according to Pew Research Centre says DiDonato. It only makes that sharing something that holds deep meaning to your identity can help create a solid foundation for a longterm relationship.

So I suppose that there are also many benefits to finding love at a gym. Let’s look at just some of the benefits. There is the thought of there’s the two of you; On Sundays, there will never be a thing where your lazying in front of the TV, you both kiss good-buy to your fave restaurants (that sucks), you’ll both learn to ignore the throw-away comments (of food obviously) you both never get scared of restrictive dieting, Protein bottles and shakes will clog up the sink! You will get bombarded with social media uploads (everything to do with gym); you will both be super fit and super driven!

Have the gyms become the venue for the odd marriage proposal?!

Modern tech is not always helping to bring us together. Social media, Our smartphones, skype apps (yes, people still use it), and online dating like tinder (to name but a few). These technologies have changed society in so many ways. On the surface, they do bring people together, but, as some of us are now beginning to realise, they can also create more insular lifestyles and potentially impact long-term mental health. As the first generation to be born into the smartphone era and social media culture, it’s a sad but unsurprising fact that millennials are the most isolated generation, with 30% stating they often feel lonely. An extraordinary one in five say they have no friends. Loneliness isn’t purely a millennial issue, though it’s happening more. It’s something that affects all generations at some point or another. Sadly, depression is on the rise, and suicide rates are increasing amongst the young generational demographic. I went a little off topic there, but I also had to mention the mental health impact of social media and communication between people has also changed.

There are many reasons loneliness and depression is on the increase, but two well-known factors that can help people are exercise and fostering a sense of community and belonging. So I guess the gym does help in some ways. Bringing a sense of familiarity to exercising together with a partner or friends does help enhance or, should I say, stimulates our senses. Working together towards a common goal, which is how team-based activity works, really highlight the benefits of group exercise and the importance of people being together and competing together.

Some of us even gym at work; it motivates, engages and socialises with colleagues through a gym. So it can provide employees with a motivating environment in order to burn off excess stress and get away from their desks. The great thing about an office gym is that there is no hierarchy. People are there to get fit and learn workout tips from colleagues. It’s a great environment to get people talking on a social level. This helps every generation get the highest stimulation from socialising and finding friends or partners.

I looked on youtube this morning and found many marriage proposals in gyms! It’s surprising how this happens! But to finish this off, yes, the gym does help ladies & gentlemen in more ways than others! But maybe not in a romantic way because, yes, times have changed, and what may have been romantic has changed its dynamic completely.