Fitness First has found that the news of an imminent meeting with an ex spurs women to get fit.
Relationships on Female First
Coined as 'Ex-cercise'- 51% of women would stick to a fitness regime if they were expecting to see their ex some time soon. Surprisingly- fewer women would get fit for their wedding day- only 39% in fact.
There are five scenarios that women are ready to get sweaty for, such as seeing an ex for the first time at a mutual friend's birthday party or wedding.
This is closely followed by wanting to ensure that they are in better shape than their ex's new partner- so they know what they are missing.
Thirdly, women want to be able to take selfies looking their best for social media so their exes will regret ever ending it with them.
For those who have not fallen into another relationship post their split with their ex- they simply want to feel good about themselves to get through Valentine's Day as a single woman.
Some bold ladies want to win back their lover and finally, the prospect of seeing a partner's ex at social events is enough to get them pumping iron at the gym.
Professor of Physical activity and Health, Stuart Biddle says that increased motivation is linked to confidence, which can only be gained by getting support and encouragement from others- and 'others' might include an ex.
Professor Biddle says: "There are many sources of confidence that fuel motivation and encourage us to maintain good habits and reach our goals.
"Two of the key drivers include watching other people similar to us succeed and do well. This could relate to the new partner of an ex. The other stimuli is being encouraged and gaining recognition from someone of particular significance to us, which in this case could be an ex-partner."
Kate Toland, Head of Marketing at Fitness First says, "Motivation is a very personal concept which is why we were keen to understand contributing factors to annual peaks in club attendance.
"We found that 74% of women think looking fit and healthy when seeing an ex is imperative, and that the first half of the year - mainly February to June - holds the threat of running into an old flame for 58% of them.
"It was also interesting to see the role that social media plays in this trend with over half of participants (53%) admitting to posting attractive pictures of themselves in the hope their ex would see them, and 33% saying that this motivated them to work out and eat healthier.
"Now that we understand the trend, we're thinking about creating a bespoke 'Ex-cercise' class to help members achieve their goals with the help of our fitness experts and have a bit of fun as well.
"Fitness is not just about looking good, but also having the confidence to go further. So it's understandable that being fit could help you better deal with an inevitably awkward meeting. And of course, reminding an ex what they're missing out on also doesn't hurt!"
Ex-cercise has proved popular with 25-35 year olds; however some women in their fifties are also attending if they know they are going to be bumping into an ex-husband in the near future.
On average, women start their ' Ex-cercise' regime six weeks before they are due to meet their ex, because they know it will pay off.
We all know all the trouble that Romy and Michelle went to for their reunion- so it's no surprise that both sexes feel they are going to be judged on their weight, appearance, success and relationship status when faced with their high school sweethearts again.
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