The First Date

If you’re like most men in the UK and elsewhere, you tend to get first date jitters from time to time. Getting nervous totally normal when going on a first date from a girl you met online. We get them as well, and we’ve been doing this for years now.

There are ways to calm yourself down.

One of our favorite ways to get rid of all of that nervous energy is to do a quick workout before your date. You don’t have to go all-out, especially if you’re not used to working out regularly.

Try doing several push-ups before your shower. The effects of a workout on the appearance of your muscles last for a few hours. That means that not only will you be getting rid of some of those pre-date jitters, you’ll be making yourself look better for her when she finally arrives.

Don’t push yourself too hard, though. You want your chest and arms to look better. You don’t want to be panting and sweaty when the woman you’ve met arrives for your first date. And don’t forget to shower before the date, but after your little workout.

Make sure she’s going to enjoy herself.

Remember what we said about her profile being the key to knowing what she enjoys? That applies to what you want to do on your first meetup with this woman as well as your first message.

The more you know about her, from her profile and from the messages you’ve sent back and forth before meeting, the better. You don’t want to be the man who takes her on typical dates. You want to be the man who uses what you know about her to make these dates special.

We’re not saying you can’t take her someplace typical.

However, typical dates are better saved for later, when there isn’t quite so much pressure to make her say, “Wow!”

You want to make this date somewhere she’ll enjoy. Take all of her likes and dislikes into account. You don’t want to be the man who takes her somewhere that only you enjoy. That makes you the equivalent of a man who buys his wife the power tools he needs for Christmas, so that he’ll be able to borrow them from her.

Look at her interests, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t just take her to the cinema if she says she likes films, although that’s not the worst idea in the world.

When you’re planning where to meet, think about what she’ll enjoy. If she sounds excited when you tell her what you’ve planned, you’ve done your job well for the moment.

Dinner, the cinema, and coffee have been done to death.

We’re not saying there is no time or place for any of these dates. Under the right circumstances, you can have a very enjoyable time at any one of those places with a woman.

However, they’re not exactly exciting. You want to take her somewhere special, somewhere that she’ll remember in the future. Imagine you’re going to marry this woman. You don’t want to think that in ten years, she’s going to have trouble remembering where you took her the first time you met up in person.

We trust you to be more creative than that.

If you’re wondering what to do, take a look at some more unconventional dates. You want her to remember everything you do together, starting with the first message you sent her, and going through the first time you take her out somewhere.

If you don’t want to do something typical, and you’re having a difficult time plumbing her interests for something to do, there are a wealth of fun, atypical dates that might appeal to both of you.

For example, try rock climbing. Even if you’re not in fantastic shape, this can be a lot of fun for a first date. We don’t mean that you have to find the nearest cavern and scale it, but you can usually find a rock climbing wall indoors at many major gyms and parks. If neither of you are all that athletic, you can make fun of yourselves—but don’t make fun of her!

If that doesn’t appeal to you, try either a dance class or a cooking class. These are fun ways to learn a new skill together, and you can always learn a little more about each other while you do it.

A dance class in particular will give you a good opportunity to get in close proximity with this woman. You don’t have to be the world’s best dancer. However, if you can at least follow the beat, you’ll be ahead of most of the class in that regard.

The cooking class is another great option. Don’t shy away from showing your ignorance. That’s the easiest way to learn something, and she’ll probably find it charming that you’re so honest.