Over: The Health Club as Pick Up Scene

Once upon a time, Melena Ryzik reminds us in this piece in the New York Times, the health club was the place to meet Mr. Goodbody, or Miss Goodbody. "But now," writes Ryzik, "trainers, gymgoers and fitness industry experts say,
expectations have reversed. Health is often the key motivator, and,
with a few exceptions, the idea of the gym as a pick-up spot is about
as passé as neon pink leg warmers."
One reason for the change may be fact that these days, people aged 35 to 54 account for a third of all health club members,
and the over-55 crowd makes up another quarter
and is the fastest growing segment of gymgoers. Ryzik’s piece relies more on anecdote than numbers, but we do get a few interesting stats, such as that today, 41.3 million people belong to health clubs, compared with 17.3 million in 1987. Read more in the New York Times.