1 in 4 have sex in gym
1 in 4 admitted to having had sex in the gym in the past 12 months iStock

Those of you already thinking about giving up on the gym might want to have a rethink, especially if you are also looking to find love this year as you could be able to do both at the same time.

It has been revealed that more than 50% of Brits regularly use their gym as a place to find a date and it must be working as 25% of a survey of 2,000 people admitted they have had sex with someone in the gym at least once in the past year.

So while you thought all that sweating and panting was the coming from the weight benches, it looks like there are a lot of people using their memberships for more than just shedding a minute or two off their 10km.

However, while one in four people are working off the calories while in flagrante delicto with fellow gym goers, 66% have admitted that the fantasy of "training dirty" with someone does far more to their workout efforts than their playlists ever have.

These enlightening figures are from the latest survey from Ann Summers, which also revealed that those paying for personal trainers are also getting a little extra attention. Nearly 20% of Brit gym goers questioned were getting it on with their personal trainer and 70% of women admitted that they took the gym home with them, having fantasised about their personal trainer during sex.

This by no means suggests there are men and women aimlessly wandering the gym looking for a hook-up but they are certainly finding time to do a little left and right swiping, with 82% of Brits finding time to log on to their dating apps and seek a match while in the gym.

When it comes to actually working out, 45% of women said they liked being on the cross trainer as it made their bum feel more toned, while men opted for the lat pull down machine to show off their biceps when they flirted. While these actions do nothing to promote safety in the gym, there are clearly keeping people working out, which is never a bad thing.

This is not a wholly surprising study as exercise and increase in libido have often been intrinsically linked. As sexual coach Dr Lisa Turner told Women's Health: 'Resistance training is proven to increase testosterone in women, vital for maintaining arousal and libido." The same goes for men, with Science Daily reporting on a 2012 paper that linked weight loss to increased testosterone levels in men.