You work out like an animal. You get your rest. You eat clean. You’re a man who's in good shape, and you’re looking for the same in a woman.
So far, so good. But it seems the dating world is set up against you. For one thing, it’s much easier and more straightforward to find, say, intellectual women, religious women, or even pot-smoking women than it is to find a quality source of fit, single women. Healthy women are everywhere, but there isn’t the equivalent of a book club, church, or stonersingles.com where they all gather.
What’s more, it can feel like dating rituals are designed to sabotage your fitness goals. Bars and restaurants are not designed for the kind of man who eats clean and wants to manage what goes into his body.
To solve this problem, we went to Love Systems founder and dating expert Nick Savoy, who came back with these five dating tips for fitness fanatics.
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1. Put in extra time at the gym
You’ll usually have better luck in exercise classes (especially yoga) than working out by yourself. (For more detail, read this article on how to meet women at the gym.)
Many gyms have a juice bar inside or nearby. That can be a good place to talk to women you saw when you were working out.
Build some slack into your schedule around your workouts. There’s no point flirting with someone if you have to be back at the office before you have time to get her phone number.
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2. Think outside the box
Traditional gyms aren't your only option. Plenty of women do CrossFit, which has a more social atmosphere than your standard health club. Charity runs, hikes, and races are also good opportunities.
Just do what other fitness-minded people do: get moving. Instead of sitting on the sofa, hang out at the park or go on a hike. Go solo, take a friend, or check out the dozens of online meetup groups centered around outdoor activities.
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3. Sit still and stare at your screen…
…but only for long enough to put yourself in the path of attractive, fit women.
You track your workouts, right? And maybe your meals, too? If you’ve been using pen-and-paper or even a spreadsheet at home, it’s time to upgrade to one of the millions of apps out there. Many have social networking features, and on a couple apps I use, I see a ton of flirting and introductions being made by attractive singles.
What’s more, in these apps you’re not dealing with the usual online dating ambiguity of wondering what she really looks like. Users usually track their progress, so you’ll probably see her current measurements, regular full-body photos, and maybe her one-rep max, should you really need to know.
If you’re not using social media to enhance your dating life, you’re missing out.
4. Know your zombies
I am seeing someone whom I met while she was finishing up a run. I was parking my car and noticed she had an iPhone, so I told her about the funny-yet-awesome app called Zombies, Run! It simulates a movie-style zombie chase while you run: Speed up to outrun a mob of zombies, slow down to avoid others, and so on. In addition to not being a usual pick-up line, this “opener” gave us something to talk about.
A zombie app seem too silly? Keep up-to-date on interesting fitness topics. Not necessarily hardcore science (Arguing about macronutrient ratios? Nah.), but rather the stuff that is interesting on a human interest level. Think bizarre gym stories, new technologies, athletic feats, and so on.
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5. Don't ask her out for a drink
When you meet a woman who cares about fitness as much as you do, then you can turn some of the disadvantages of “dating while fit” into advantages. Invite her to a healthy-but-delicious restaurant you discovered. Or better, use over-engineered restaurant food as an excuse to invite her over for dinner. If that’s too big of a step, downshift to a picnic in the park. Go shopping for it together.
She’ll be grateful that you're not the 71st man to ask her out for “a drink” this year. Just don’t take it to an extreme. Even the most health-conscious woman doesn’t want to go hiking every time she sees you, and if you don’t show other sides to your personality, you’ll become her workout buddy instead of her boyfriend.
Nick Savoy is the President of Love Systems anda frequent contributor to Men’s Fitness. Follow him on Twitter @LS_Savoy.