First-Date Fitness: 10 Sweaty “Red Flags”

Learn all you need to know about your potential new partner while getting your sweat on.

Let’s face it, dating is hard. Finding someone who shares your passion for fitness and won’t encourage you to succumb to bad food habits is even harder. When it’s time to vet your potential soul mate on that awkward first date, we’ve got you covered. Make plans to take a workout class!

Exercising together is a creative way to get to know your prospective beau on a deeper level. From cycling to boxing to boot camp to yoga, the workout floor is a perfect setting to discover your date’s true nature.

With the boutique fitness studio phenomenon taking the world by a storm, there are many endorphin-blasting classes that not only develop strength, stamina and flexibility but also reveal quite a lot about a person, if you pay close enough attention. On your next fitness-inspired first date, keep an eye out for the key indicators below.

1. Time Management. Do they show up on time and remember to bring water?
2. Overly Competitive. Do they have to “win” in class or compete against the instructor?
3. Vanity. Do they constantly check themselves out in the mirror?
4. Hygiene. Do they have funky body odor?
5. Quick to Criticize. Do they have positive comments to share after the class or prefer to obsess over things they didn’t like?
6. Good Manners. Do they say “please” and “thank you” to the instructor and staff?
7. Entitled. Do they leave sweat and expect others to wipe it up?
8. Inflated Ego. Do they keep their phone nearby and text during class?
9. A Player. Are they checking out others in the class instead of keeping eyes on you?
10. Adventurous. Are they willing to try new moves that might not come naturally (and are they willing to laugh at themselves instead of getting upset)?

A workout class can help break the ice and make lead-up conversations via text or social media exciting. Put your flirting game to the test and see how playfully competitive they are! If you take a class that tracks performance like Orangetheory or Flywheel, make a bet that loser buys coffee after the sweat sesh. Most boutique studios offer a free first class, and programs like ClassPass help keep prices down.

After class, if it’s going well, suggest checking out a great restaurant or juice bar nearby. You’ll get more time to talk and will have already burned off those nervous first-date jitters. Plus, the delayed onset muscle soreness is a perfect conversation starter for the following day or two. After all, misery loves company!

What are you waiting for? Start planning your fitness-inspired first date. And in the process of finding love, you may end up with some defined abs.