Meet a fitty

Your perfect partner may be closer than you think

Single gym junkies, lone-wolf runners and DIY yogis, listen up! If you’re tired of going it alone, you may be reassured to hear that your perfect workout buddy may only be a tap of the screen away.

Sound too good to be true? Here are the apps helping fitness fanatics find a fitty – literally.

A friendly affair

When meeting a potential partner for the first time, you might be inclined to spend an extra 10 minutes on your make-up or buy a fancy new outfit. But what if it wasn’t that kind of date? Touting a completely innocent kind of relationship – formed purely over your shared love of fitness – apps such as Fitssi and Wellsquad offer you the chance to find a fitness friend locally and easily.

Essentially, these are social networks for new-wave ‘workout warriors’, but with an aim to actually meet up and train rather than just go on a stalking spree (although we’re sure that happens too – rude not to after all their hard work, right?). It’s a concept growing in popularity – but why?

For the heads behind Fitssi, personal trainer Chris Sweeney and tech developer Lee Mcpherson, it was all about breaking down barriers to keeping fit. The fear of lonely late-night workouts? The anxiety of putting yourself out there in a gym full of tanked guys in vests and Lululemon-clad girls when you’re

‘Essentially, these are social networks for newwave “workout warriors”, but with an aim to actually meet up and train’

just starting out? No worries. Pop your details into Fitssi, find people in your area with similar workout goals, and bingo – problem solved in less than 60 seconds.

But it’s not just a confidence game. ‘Through my extensive experience in the gym business I have seen people excel time and time again with the support of a new peer group,’ explains Chris. A study by Virgin Active found that women who work out with a friend burn up to 236 calories in an average workout, compared with 195 calories for those who work out alone. Meanwhile Indiana University found that couples who worked out separately had a 43 per cent drop-out rate, compared with 6.3 per cent for those who did it together.

Pick of the bunch

We can’t argue it’s an ingenious idea but not one that Fitssi can claim all to itself. Another app, Wellsquad, works in similar ways, but rather aims to connect users with whole groups, allowing them to partake in team sports. This too was the idea behind Atleto. ‘For 20 years I was the sports event organiser in my circle of friends,’ explains Patrick Lundgren, Atleto CEO and cofounder. ‘It often took me days to coordinate schedules through calls and emails with friends. So I felt that there must be an easier way for me to connect to my groups, but also for others around the world to do the same – and so Atleto was born.’

Like a lot of things in our generation, it comes down to convenience. But that isn’t the only driving force. Fitivity, one of the largest sports and fitness mobile brands that supplies over 400 apps, is now launching a Pick-up Sports app (albeit only in the US and Canada currently) designed to reignite people’s love and use of outdoor spaces like playgrounds and courts. ‘There’s always a high probability that there are six people within a five-mile proximity itching to play three-on-three basketball,’ says Guy Pistone, CEO of Fitivity. But a decline in those utilising local spaces has caused many to turn to expensive gyms and sports league memberships instead, often being hooked into paying monthly fees they can’t afford.

This is where the Massachusettsbased startup stepped in, providing its users with the opportunity to reserve a playground venue which in turn notifies all app users in the area. ‘Our job is to make sure they all can connect through this app,’ Guy continues. ‘The number of people playing team sports in playgrounds has rapidly declined and the tech companies that have tried to solve this issue never had enough app users to make it work. I think we’re at a point where we can start building up playground community again.’

Sweaty soul-mates

While these apps ignite many purely platonic friendships, others are tapping into another side. We’ve all seen the adverts. There’s dating sites for those who work in uniform, for Christians, for beard-lovers, for gluten-free singles (yep). Niche dating sites or apps are certainly not a new concept, but this is one sector that’s growing at speed.

Sweatt, for example, matches people romantically based on their exercise habits, including type of exercise, workout frequency and preferred time of day to hit the gym. The app still matches people based on the standard criteria, too – age, gender, sexual orientation, location – but within a community of people with a similar passion for a healthy way of life. It’s heavily image-led and operates using a swiping, Tinder-style format, so it’s no surprise the two apps were quickly compared. But with fitness-focused lifestyles such an integral part of our culture, it’s a pretty clever departure on Sweatt’s part. ‘Fitness is so much more than the time we spend working out,’ Sweatt founder Dan Ilani explains. ‘Our commitment to fitness dictates so many of the choices we make on a daily basis. Chances of compatibility are heightened when you choose to date people with shared interests, lifestyles and mindsets.’

There are small, refreshing differences, too. Potential matches, or ‘Sweatts’, for example, are capped at five per day, the app choosing only the best for each user. ‘At the end of the day, our users don’t want 1,000

‘Fitness is so much more than the time we spend working out. Chances of compatibility are heightened when you choose to date people with shared interests, lifestyles and mindsets’

matches, they want a partner,’ says Dan. Another app, Jaha, whose users are predominantly runners, also doubles as a fitness tracker and gives you the option to challenge virtual buddies to see who can run the fastest 5K or who can do the heaviest deadlift.

Dating apps for fitness lovers, like Sweatt, are on the rise, but why are singles turning to these communities rather than widening the search? Moreover, what have they got on lucrative dating app Tinder? ‘People have developed this love/hate relationship with dating apps because, while they are a great platform to connect, they are also filled with people who aren’t serious and just aren’t good matches,’ says Dan. ‘Instead of making life easier, they often feel like they create more disappointment. Sweatt solves that problem by bringing together a community of

like-minded people.’

The scholars agree, too. ‘All relationships are based on a balance of similarity and difference, so having a theoretical similar interest is a good start,’ explains relationship therapist and psychologist Joanna Warwick. ‘People who are interested in fitness are interested in wellbeing and usually tend to have a go-getting attitude, so they might be interested in other things like travelling and trying new things. So there is also more of a broad general connection regarding possible characteristics and viewpoints.’

Just another app?

Considering the current saturation of this market, you can’t help but recognise its demand. Is it the natural progression of the ever-booming fitness industry? Or is it just an extension of our technology-dependent, at-yourfingertips generation?

Fitssi, which initially targeted men and women who were already active, but whose long-term dream was to encourage people of all levels to engage through exercise, says more people are turning to apps like this because so many find gyms daunting. Indeed, a 2014 study of 9.4 million women by Sport England found that 75 per cent of women wanted to exercise more, but cited a fear of being judged as the main reason they didn’t. However, Fitssi also attributes its success to its ease of use, with no sign-up fees. ‘We are social animals; it’s more fun to train and achieve together,’ says tech developer Lee Mcpherson. ‘Apps like ours make it easy to meet new people who share a common goal.’

What’s more, Atleto maintains that in a world where social media can sometimes be anything but ‘social’, its app actually helps people make real-life connections. An informal survey conducted by the app found that 28 per cent of respondents did not take part in more sporting activities because it was difficult to find someone to participate with. It seems, then, that these apps are not here to suck us into our phone screens further, but rather serve as a means to get us away from them.

When it comes to finding in-app love, however, Joanna advises a balanced approach. ‘We all want and need love for our wellbeing and apps are an extension of our current way of life,’ she explains. ‘We want to take control of love, which of course is impossible. There is nothing wrong with using dating sites and apps, but they shouldn’t replace real life; they should be part of a whole range of ways of connecting with people, and of course we also need to have the right skills to actually do something with it.’

But Oliver Cookson, nutrition expert and CEO of gonutrition.com maintains they’re the future of dating. ‘It was inevitable that sooner or later dating apps and the health and fitness industry would combine. Personally I think it’s an absolutely fantastic idea to encourage those who have a passion for fitness and nutrition to find like-minded people to connect with online, to find friends and maybe even love.’

Whether you find your next gym BFF or not, with a pretty large shared interest locked down, at least you’ll get off on the right trainer-clad foot.