(
)
When Flywheel instructor Natalie Cohen takes the pilot seat at the Flatiron spinning studio, she barks orders to testosterone-fueled Wall Street power players, fitness freaks and sometimes, couples on blind dates.
And yes, you did read that right. “A lot of people who met on Match, OkCupid or JDate are having their [first] dates at Flywheel,” says Cohen. “It’s fun, flirty and a great way to get a workout in. Maybe riding with someone in a spin class [is] easier than having a conversation over coffee,” adds the 34-year-old, who fancies herself as a cycling Cupid, hosting regular mixers after class so that her devotees can meet other spinners whom they’ve been eyeing from across the steamy room. She has about five love connections under her taut belt already and regularly gets e-mails from spinners asking, “Can you introduce me to that hottie on bike number 28?” Not even celebrities are immune from wheel love: Jake Gyllenhaal is reportedly dating Sports Illustrated model Emily DiDonato after meeting her in a spin class at SoulCycle in Union Square.
Cohen says it’s all about meeting someone who shares your passion. “People are not . . . concerned about being sweaty and gross. I think it’s people wanting to date someone who cares about fitness,” she says.
Flywheel is just one of many spots around the city hosting fitness first dates.
According to HowAboutWe — a site where suitors attract potential mates by proposing date ideas — over half of the activities offered are fitness-oriented and followed by drinks.
Recent suggested dates include an hourlong capoeira class, a full-day bike rental and a session at popular hybrid workout spot, Bari Studio.
And the number of these workout-themed dates has risen 15 percent since last year, according to a spokeswoman for the site.
“Exercising releases those happy endorphins that make you feel great about yourself,” says Whitney Casey, relationship expert for match.com. “[And] there’s no better time to meet someone than when you’re feeling confident and in your element.”
It was that thinking that led Match — as part of their “Stir” program, which offers offline experiences like cooking classes or cocktails to their online members — to post a class at As One, a boutique Upper West Side gym.
The event sold out overnight, making it the most popular Stir event this month.
“New Yorkers are constantly on the go,” says Casey. “It makes sense that they would be interested in an interactive and lightly competitive event.”
Casey says a romantic trip to the gym is also the ideal place to learn about a would-be paramour.
“If someone takes themselves too seriously you’ll notice that, just as you’ll notice the person next to you having a blast with their workout and keeping it light. From there you’ll know if that person is someone you’d want to get to know.”
If you’ve already got a significant other, you can workout with The One: The New York Sports Club offers a popular free couple-themed class, “Tough Love: Bars, Bands & Blindfolds Bootcamp,” which involves core strengthening, plyometric moves and resistance bands.
The class has become so in demand since it launched as a one-off to mark Valentine’s Day this year the gym has made the workout part of their regular roster.
Well, the couple that plays together, stays together, right? At least that’s what Cohen says, and she should know — she met her now-fiancé after a client hooked her up.
“I met him and said, ‘If you want to date me, you have to spin.’ ”
He went to the class, and the rest is history. They’ll marry in September.
“And he’s lost 30 pounds,” she notes with glee.