10 Gym Romance Stories That Will Give You Hope This Valentine’s Day

Love comes in all shapes and sizes, and can be found in the most unexpected places! We asked you to send us your fitness love stories from the gym and you almost had us reaching for the tissues.

Take a look at our top ten swolemate stories below:

1. You drive me crazy

“Someone knocked into my car at the gym and left a note. Instead of ringing up for insurance details I asked them to go on a date. I had no idea what this person looked like, just that she was female by the handwriting. We have now been in a relationship for 3 years!”

2. The PT turned swolemate

“When I joined the gym, I had no clue what I was doing so I decided to work with a personal trainer. I found one that was apparently the best at my gym and we started working together.

After a couple of weeks, he started asking if I wanted to train with him outside of my purchased sessions. We started getting coffee together after the gym, he started walking me home, and one Saturday we decided to bake a cake together after training.

This went on for about a month and a half until he kissed me. Tomorrow it'll be 9 months since we've started dating. You know what they say — couples that train together, stay together.”

3. This super-supportive couple

“So I’ve struggled with anorexia for around three years, plunging in and out of relapses which also meant that depression sprung out of nowhere too. I was battling to get to a healthy weight, but by October 2018 I got there.

I met my partner Alex on Instagram. We both have accounts where we document our journey in recovery from mental illness. Alex is transgender and has depression and PTSD, as well as recovering from an eating disorder himself. We decided to meet up in June 2018, and we eventually got together a month later.

When I got to a healthy weight, my depression began to be a burden. So, as agreed with my eating disorder nurse, I was able to start exercising again and go to the gym, after previously struggling with exercise addiction in relation to my anorexia. It was a very scary prospect for me, until Alex told me he’d come along.

I focused on weight training with him for two hours a week, and after a few sessions, I made the decision to begin exercising on my own at my local gym. Without Alex, I wouldn’t have had the guts to even step into that environment, never mind create a better relationship with food and my body at the same time.

Nowadays, Alex and I train together once a week if he comes up to my house, and I’ve advanced massively with my weight training since starting at the gym. My mood has notably increased too.”

4. Second time lucky

“I met Lisa about 3 years ago — it was my first shift at this gym and a staff member introduced her to me. As soon as I saw her I knew she was the one, and later on the same member of staff told me that she was asking if I was single. He told me to add her on Facebook, so after a few hours of digging I found her — unhelpfully she had a different name on Facebook because she’s a teacher.

We started chatting for a few days but then she just stopped speaking to me. Turned out my chat was really bad — I’m not used to messaging girls! A few months went by with us not speaking in the gym, until I opened a door and Lisa was there.

We both said hi and that night she unblocked me. Two years later and not only do we live together, but we are engaged to be married in April 2020. Life is perfect.”

5. Fitness flirting that became so much more

“Almost four years ago now a new PT started at the gym — I had been single for a few months and had never had a crush so bad in my life! I would try to go the gym purposely when thought he would be on shift just so I could give a cheeky smile and get him to notice me. I’d go home after workouts and tell all my housemates how attractive the new PT was.

After a few months we started to make small talk/banter and even trained a few times together. He then became my PT and after a month of personal training we started dating.

Four years on we have a house and dog together and he keeps hinting about engagement rings! We train together most days when our shifts match up (I’m now a qualified nurse).

Turns out he fancied me the whole time when I thought he didn’t know I existed.”

6. This cardio couple

“About 2 months ago I matched with a guy on Hinge, and we kept trying to plan a date but my schedule was just not open to it. Eventually we just stopped talking because he thought I was blowing him off.

Then a month ago he noticed I was at the gym on his way out and came up to me. I definitely did not plan to meet anyone that day so I was a little wary, but he said, ‘I normally wouldn’t have come up to you like this but this might’ve been my only chance to talk to you, and I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Plus, I figured it might be harder to turn down a date with me if I asked in person.’

We both hopped on treadmills (which is a stretch for me because I hate cardio and steer clear of the death contraptions as much as possible) and we walked and talked together for 2 hours —  that’s the most cardio I’ve done in months.

My schedule is still just as crazy so majority of the time we have gym dates which is nice cause we push each other to try new things and strive for our best. We just recently went on an actual date and talked all night, even closed out the bar! It’s still very new but things are going well between us.

You just never know what might come out of going to the gym.”

7. You spin me right round

“So I kept noticing this guy at the gym (he seemed to spend every hour of every day there). He was blonde, with piercings and generally not my type. I’d heard my PT talk about him, about his strength and how well he’d done and found out his name was Izak… and that he was 10 years younger than me.

Then he started coming to the spin classes that I went to every week — I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence that he managed to get on the bike directly behind me almost every time... Anyway, one day he spoke to me on the gym floor, I suddenly had no idea what to do, and I rudely walked away.

How would I ever redeem myself? I thought he was never going to try talk to me again, and the fact I was bothered meant I clearly had a crush on him. So the next time I saw him I made the effort to talk to him.

It turned out he was really sweet and asked if I fancied training with him. We got in contact with each other on social media, we trained lots and soon became inseparable... That was almost 3 years ago. He is my swolemate and my soulmate all in one.”

8. This keen marine

“I was going to the gym after a hard exam at school. It wasn’t one that I usually went to — I only went because a friend made me and it was close to the school. When I was there, I made eye-contact with this guy while he was waiting to use a machine.

A little bit later, while I was teaching my friend some back exercises with dumbbells, him and some of his friends started lifting right next to us. They initiated the conversation – asking us how old we were and if we went to school. I thought they were just trying to recruit us or something as they were wearing Marine shirts.

When I left the gym, this guy yelled at me from across the parking lot and I ended up giving him my phone number. The next day we went out to eat and I had a blast. From then, we hung out and went to the gym a lot together until he had to go back to his unit (he was only in my state for about a month — what a coincidence).

We’ve now been dating a little less than a year, and this is someone I can see myself being with for a very long time. I’m so happy we found each other and I love our story.”

9. This functional fitness couple

“Funny thing, I ended up marrying a guy I met at my functional fitness gym. The story started when I met this guy, Ricky, at a summer party — we’d both seen each other around the functional fitness gym a few times but never talked before. He introduced himself at the party and we chatted casually.

I saw him at the gym the next week, and after a crazy hard work out (I was dripping in sweat), he came over to me and asked me out on a date. I was completely taken aback — he was a good looking guy and nice, but I still didn’t know him well. However, I decided to give it a shot.

After our first date we were inseparable. We dated seriously for 5 years and got married this November just gone. I wouldn’t change where or that moment we met for anything. He is an amazing person, friend, and partner. We are excited for the road ahead together!”

10. Work buddy turned fitness hubby

“When I first moved to Worcester from London I started going to the gym with this guy from work, as I didn’t know about any of the local gyms. He was super fit, strong and I won’t lie, I fancied him so much!

The more we worked out together, the stronger we got physically and emotionally. I realised he fancied me too! Winner. He asked me out for a Nando’s I agreed, three years later we have bought a house together, and are getting married this May.

Oh and he’s still my gym buddy — a bit of cheeky flirting in the gym isn’t always creepy or a bad thing!”