Today finding that special spark with someone is often ignited with the click of a computer mouse. Online dating has quickly replaced an introduction by a friend or family member.
According to DatingSiteReviews.com one in five singles has dated someone they met online. Their statistics also show that 5.5 million singles use online dating sites. In 2010 the site reports that 17 percent of couples who married met on an online dating service.
For the healthy and adventurous-minded there is currently the site, FitnessSingles.com. According to FitnessSingles.com they have “more selective profiles and better search capabilities! No matter what your interest — running, cycling, hiking, equestrian, Yoga or any of a hundred other fitness activities.”
Prior to meeting my now husband, I did use this online dating site. I am happy to report that I am one of the statistics of another dating site, having met and married a man I met online. Fitness was a common thread in our interests with many of our dates involving a hike or run.
I tell you this background because as a fitness professional, it was very important for me to meet someone who was equally as active. According to DatingSiteReviews.com, “Fitness Singles has around 105,000 active users which makes it one of the biggest specialist fitness dating sites at the present time. Most of the people on the site are dedicated to some sporting activity or other; some are seeking a partner to join them in their activities, while others are seeking romantic connections.”
My personal experience with this site was that it was a good one, but limited my choices , especially in my immediate area. The number of users on this site has grown since I was a member however. These greater numbers are a reason for some reservations that many other FitnessSingles.com users have expressed in their comments.
To put this in perspective according to OnlineDatingMagazine.com, one of the more popular general dating sites, Match.com now has “more than 15 million members with profiles posted or who are active users and about one million paying subscribers from more than 246 countries.”
I soon transitioned to another site exclusively where I was able to narrow my search to my fitness interests. It was a bit more work, seeing who really “fit” the fitness bill as opposed to FitnessSingles.com due its specialty.
I will also have to say that working in the fitness industry and narrowing my search to my immediate area had me meeting people I already knew and worked with on FitnessSingles.com. This of course, was somewhat amusing to me.
Still fitness, travel and adventure go hand in hand, so for some who have the leisure time and will to seek out a mate elsewhere, FitnessSingles.com is a good site.
Online References:
“Current Online Dating and Dating Services Facts & Statistics – Dating Reviews.com” Dating Site Reviews. Web 5 Jan. 2012.
http://www.datingsitesreviews.com/staticpages/index.php?page=online-dating-industry-facts-statistics
http://www.dating-service.com/review/Sites/fitness-singles.com
“About Fitness Singles – FitnessSingles.com.” Fitness Singles. Web 5 Jan. 2012.
http://www.fitness-singles.com/athleticsingles.asp
“History of Match.com – OnlineDatingMagazine.com.” Online Dating Magazine. Web 5 Jan. 2012.
http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/history/match-com-history.html
Joanne Sgro-Killworth is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training.
Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area with her husband, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.
Edited by Jody Smith