Women's Fitness

matches theywant a partner’ says

Dan.Another app Jaha whose

users are predominantly runners

alsodoubles asa fitnesstracker

and gives you the optionto

challengevirtual buddiesto see

who can run the fastest 5Kor who

can dothe heaviest deadlift.

Datingapps for fitnesslovers

likeSweatt are onthe rise but why

are singles turning to these

communitiesrather thanwidening

the search? Moreover what have

theygot onlucrative datingapp

Tinder? ‘People havedevelopedthis

love/hate relationship with dating

apps because while theyare a

great platformto connect theyare

alsofilledwith people whoaren’t

seriousand just aren’t good

matches’ saysDan.‘Instead

of makinglife easier theyoften

feel liketheycreate more

disappointment. Sweatt solves

that problem bybringing

together acommunity of

like-minded people.’

The scholars agree too. ‘All

relationshipsare based ona

balance of similarity and difference

sohavinga theoretical similar

interest is a goodstart’ explains

relationship therapist and

psychologist Joanna Warwick.

‘People whoare interestedin fitness

are interestedin wellbeing and

usually tend to havea go-getting

attitude sotheymight beinterested

in other thingsliketravellingand

trying new things.Sothere is

alsomore of a broad general

connectionregarding possible

characteristicsand viewpoints.’

Justanotherap p?

Considering the current saturation

of this market you can’t help but

recognise its demand. Is it the

natural progression of the

ever-booming fitnessindustry?

Oris it just anextension of our

technology-dependent at-your-

fingertips generation?

Fitssi which initially targeted

men and women whowere already

activebut whoselong-term dream

was to encourage people of all

levels to engagethrough exercise

saysmore people are turning to

apps likethis becausesomany find

gymsdaunting. Indeed a 2014

study of 9.4 million women bySport

Englandfound that 75percent of

women wantedto exercise more

but citeda fear of being judged as

the main reasontheydidn’t.

However Fitssi alsoattributesits

successto its ease ofuse with no

sign-upfees. ‘We are social

animals; it’s more fun to train and

achievetogether’ saystech

developerLee McPherson.‘A pps

likeoursmakeit easyto meet new

people whoshare acommongoal.’

What’s more Atleto maintains

that ina world where social media

can sometimes be anythingbut

‘social’ its appactually helps

people makereal-life connections.

Aninformal surveyconductedby

the appfound that 28 percent of

respondents did not takepart in

more sportingactivities becauseit

was difficult to find someoneto

participate with. It seems thenthat

theseapps are not hereto suckus

into our phonescreensfurther but

rather serve asa meansto get us

awayfromthem.

Whenit comes to finding in-app

lovehowever Joanna advisesa

balancedapproach. ‘We allwant

and needlovefor our wellbeing and

apps are anextension of our

current way of life’ she explains.

‘We wantto takecontrol of love

which of courseis impossible.

There is nothing wrong withusing

dating sites and apps but they

shouldn’t replace real life;they

should bepart of a whole range of

waysof connecting with people

and of coursewealsoneedto

havethe right skills to actually

dosomething withit.’

But OliverCookson nutrition

expert and CEO of gonutrition.com

maintains they’re the futureof

dating. ‘It was inevitable that

sooner or laterdating apps and the

healthand fitnessindustrywould

combine. Personally Ithink it’s an

absolutely fantastic ideato

encourage those whohavea

passion for fitness and nutrition to

findlike-minded people to connect

withonline to findfriends and

maybe even love.’

Whether you findyour nextgym

BFF or not witha prettylarge

sharedinterestlockeddownat

least you’ll get off onthe right

trainer-cladfoot.

September 20 16 |womensfitness.co.uk 79

‘Fitness is so

much more

than the time

we spend

working out.

Chances of

compatib ility

are heightened

when you

choose to date

people with

shared

interests

life styles and

mindsets’