Dating Advice: Is fitness an important trait in a partner?

No but health is. I would make a terrible nurse.

I've dated a variety from the barrel-shaped to the guy who obsesses over his workouts. And I've reached a point that I won't judge a guy for how he chooses to treat the skin he's in - except for one thing. If his idea of breakfast is vodka, or he considers a few beers to be a meal, just turn and walk away. And don't look back. Trust me on this one.

I would like to be with someone who enjoys doing the same things that I do. I'm not overly active but I love hiking and walking. Personality is more important to me than how someone looks. If I ever start dating again, I hope I meet someone on the hiking trail.

Personally, I want to find someone who lifts. They don't have to be ripped, but I would love for that to be something to "share"

For me, health is the paramount concern and fitness is secondary. I am a healthy woman and even when I was very obese, I had a lot of healthy habits (not smoking, not drinking excessively, eating vegetables, taking care of my skin, getting enough sleep, having good hygiene). That's important to me. I was married to a man in the past who really didn't GAF about health, was a smoker and pretty regular social drinker. That did not seem like a huge problem to me when we met in our early 20s but by the time he entered his 30s (I was a bit older) he was having some serious health issues that were directly related to his unhealthy habits, and I realized that our difference in lifestyle WAS pretty major. The marriage ended for different reasons.

Even though I am close to a "healthy weight" at this point I'm still not super fit. I get regular exercise but I'm not a CrossFit marathon running yogi. So I wouldn't expect any of that in my partner...it is just a bonus that the man I met 2 years ago, and married last October, happens to be healthy AND fit and super awesome :-)

To better answer your Q though, if I were single at this time in my life I'd be less concerned about a slight weight problem or a semi lazy lifestyle, but someone who ate nothing but junk would give me pause, and someone who smoked, drank daily, and ignored doctor's advice would be a dealbreaker for even dating.

ETA: I am extremely high energy and like to run around all of the time doing errands, trying new things, etc. My husband is the same way and I LOVE that however I really don't think that is essential. I'd be just as happy with him if he was more relaxed and didn't have the same enthusiasm for new things. I'd just need him to understand that I would be doing some stuff w/o him.

I don't know that I'd put a strict requirement on it. No "You must eat clean and work out 5 ays a week". But yeah, in general I'd want to date someone who was fit and active. Someone who liked to bike, hike, run, go to the gym, maybe play sports. Someone who enjoyed food and drink but was knowledgeable about nutrition, etc.

However I've been married 10 years and we are both pretty active. We were both active when we met. Prior to myself he had never dated anyone who was athletic or active and I think it made a difference.

I think it is important to find someone who shares the same inclinations as you. If having a partner who did not exercise was a point of contention in the past, it is not unreasonable to seek out someone who shares your interests and lifestyle choices.

Also

I think it is important to have a similar lifestyle to an extent. Fitness and healthy eating (for the most part) are huge parts of my life, and I just don't think a relationship would work with someone who does not at least get that about me and accept it completely. For example, I am going to be up at no later than 5am lifting, running or whatever on most days instead of lounging in bed. I am sure that this would irritate some guys to the nth degree.

My fiance pushes me to be fit, but I was already healthy before that. I push him to eat nutritiously and that works for us. We go for walks together, play tennis and eat healthy meals ( minus mushrooms, still can't get him to even try those). Part of the reason I fell in love with him is because he loved me they way I was, but was happy to work With me to be more fit and more healthy. If I was single and looking I would make sure the my SO was supportive of my healthy lifestyle and wanted to be a part of it. It just doesn't work if only one person wants it. Then the other person becomes angry or resentful, even jealous. My fiancé is all for me being fit, but he and I both prefer doing exercise ( except for when I go swimming at the gym, he lifts weights and then joins me) and grocery shopping together because it is bonding time, and it keeps creeps away. Win-win

Oh, and I second the lifts, massages, and grabs my *kitten*. Means he wants to be sexy, caring, and thinks I'm hot. Never a bad thing

I always dated active girls.

It's important.

Not important for superficial reasons such as "I need someone who is ripped" (I don't) or "I need someone that is skinny" (I don't care so much), but because I want someone that is healthy and will be around, inshallah, for a long time. We have no guarantee on how long we'll live, but it's nice to know the person cares enough about their life to try to be healthy for it.

I like to go to the gym, go swimming, go hiking, and other things that include being active, and I want to do those things with my partner

Health is a big thing for me now, when I started improving my lifestyle I had a talk to my partner about my fears for our future together if we continued down our current path. I saw obesity related diseases, us not being able to live an active healthy older life, not being able to take care of each other when we were old. It was bleak. We made a mutual decision to take care of ourselves for our future selves and each other, and it was the best decision we've made. If I was in a position where I was dating again, I would say someone who takes care of their health would be close to the top.