91 percent According to the Valentine's Day edition of the MultiSport Index survey, Poles believe that physical activity has a positive impact on their sense of attractiveness, and nearly half that sport increases the chances of getting to know a partner. What do love and sport have in common? Experts argue that they share similar chemical reactions in the body.

Every year an increasing number of Poles fall in love with physical activity. In 2022, as many as 64 percent of Poland's residents over the age of 15 (i.e. nearly 21 million) used traffic at least once a month, which is 2 percent more than the year before.

The number of people for whom exercise becomes an everyday part of an active lifestyle is also increasing - already 19 percent exercise 5 times a week. Almost half of physically active Poles use exercise for he alth, 1/3 to improve their well-being, and 14 percent work on their appearance and figure through training.

Attractiveness parameters

- According to the Valentine's edition of the MultiSport Index survey, 91 percent Poles believe that physical activity not only improves their mood, but also positively influences their sense of attractiveness. Additionally, 47 percent of us believe that playing sports increases the chances of getting to know a partner. Interestingly, men agree with this statement much more often (57%), most of them aged 25-29 (54%) and 50-59 (51%) - says Dr. Adam Waszkowski, Director of the Research Department. Benefit Systems.

As experts argue, physical activity is a very interesting parameter of attractiveness, which we intuitively combine not only with the desired physical features, such as a shapely, athletic figure, but also with positive character traits.

- When we see a person practicing sports, we assume in advance that they are self-confident, systematic, sociable, open to challenges, or more sexually fit - this is the so-called halo effect. All these features are equated with attractiveness and naturally arouse our interest - emphasizes Dr. Robert Kowalczyk, sexologist.

One to fall in love … training

48 percent Poles also believe that a fitness club is a good place for "love at first sight". - Taking into account the data from the MultiSport Index 2022 report, in fitness clubs and gyms you can potentially find your other halfalmost 5 million Poles - adds Dr. Adam Waszkowski.

According to the theory of social psychology, people similar to ourselves, who are guided by the same, positive values, gain our attention and sympathy. If we care about our he alth and are physically active, it is in the gym that the chances of meeting someone who have similar habits and aspirations increase. In addition, we are more sympathetic to people we meet regularly.

- However, it is worth being careful not to confuse sports euphoria with falling in love. When we are after sports training, we are in a state of physical excitement - our heart beats faster, circulation improves and the same hormones are released that appear in love. If in such a situation our attention is drawn to a handsome man or an attractive woman, according to Schachter's theory, we can subconsciously mistake the source of our arousal, assigning it to the person we meet instead of physical training - adds Dr. Robert Kowalczyk.

Valentine's edition of the MultiSport Index from Benefit Systems SA on Vimeo survey.

We have the same feeling of love and sport

How is it possible that we can mistake infatuation with euphoria after training? It turns out that the state of being in love and physical activity share a similar brain chemistry.

- When we enjoy movement, the same brain circuits are activated as when we are in love. We can observe the increased activity of the nucleus accumbens - the brain structure that makes us feel good - says Dr. Paweł Boguszewski, a neurobiologist.

The areas of the brain that become inactive - both in love and in physical activity for relaxation - slow down the work of the amygdala - the structure responsible for detecting danger and anxiety. We are less afraid. As a result of rhythmic movement or infatuation, the activity of the prefrontal cortex also decreases - our analytical thinking abilities and the detection of potential threats decrease.

- The concentration of neurotransmitters increases, i.e. chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins, which are responsible for the feeling of happiness. With long-term love relationships, neurohormones such as oxytocin and vasopressin, responsible for creating lasting bonds, add to the picture. It is possible that thanks to them we are equally eager to fall in love with physical activity. The similarity of feeling the effects of physical activity and falling in love is also good news for singles who, thanks to training, can feel the proverbial butterflies in their stomach - adds Dr. Paweł Boguszewski.

Working together supports relationships

According to the MultiSport surveyIndex Valentine's Day, ¾ Poles believe that physical activity has a positive effect on relationships with a partner.

- Building lasting and positive relationships with a partner is influenced not only by the feelings towards the partner, general happiness in the relationship or sex, but also by spending time together and taking up new challenges together. Physical activity can certainly combine the last two elements - says Dr. Robert Kowalczyk.

It turns out that joint training with the object of sighs can increase the state of euphoria and make us feel better than doing sports alone.

- When we engage in joint physical activity, and especially when we exercise synchronously, mirror neuron systems are activated in our brain - groups of nerve cells that allow us to understand the movement, emotions and feelings of the other person. This synchronization can increase the pleasure that compensates for the considerable effort for our brain associated with interpersonal contacts. It is worth noting that, according to the MultiSport Index 2022 study, half of physically active Poles choose to move in company - adds Dr. Paweł Boguszewski.

Polish people consider gym training, running, walking, swimming, cycling and dancing to be sports conducive to building relationships.

Category:

ABC of exercises