Here's some advice from psychologist Prof Richard Wiseman on how to impress your Valentine today. If you are a man, take up climbing and extreme sports and if you are a woman, show off your yoga, pilates and aerobics skills.

These are the top choices in an online survey of 6,142 people into the sexiest sports. Participants were given a list of 15 sports/physical activities and asked if engaging in them would make a member of the opposite sex more attractive. Wiseman and his colleague Sam Murphy then ranked them in order of the percentage of people who responded "yes". The survey did not ask explicitly whether respondents were heterosexual.

This is not peer-reviewed science, but it's just for fun and not funded by some corporate gym or suchlike. You can find more details and some other interesting stuff here.

At the bottom of the heap are those sports that make you least attractive to the opposite sex. Men who do aerobics and play golf may be in for a lonely night tonight. And women into rugby and body-building may also be spending longer searching for love.

Here is the list, from least to most attractive, of men's opinions of women's sports (with the percentage answering "yes"):

Bodybuilding 5, Rugby 6, Golf 18, Rowing 20, Football (Soccer) 30, Extreme sports 32, Martial arts 35, Cycling 39, Climbing 41, Hiking 41, Skiing 53, Running 55, Going to the gym 64, Yoga/Pilates 65, Aerobics 70

Any here's the list for women judging men:

Aerobics 9, Golf 13, Bodybuilding 19, Yoga/Pilates 20, Cycling 37, Rowing 43, Martial arts 44, Rugby 44, Running 44, Skiing 46, Going to the gym 50, Hiking 51, Football (Soccer) 52, Extreme sports 56, Climbing 57

And while we are in the Valentine mood here's proof that even PR people with their hearts of stone can be struck by Cupid's arrow. I'll let you judge whether these brilliantly capture today's warm romantic glow or are blatant ploys to get a "Valentine" themed story into the paper.

"Don't risk a broken heart this Valentine's Day," says The Communication Group's PR on behalf of their client Preventicum (an expensive private health checkup company).

With hearts across the land fluttering in expectation of unsigned cards of admiration landing on their doormats this Valentine's Day, ensure yours is strong enough to withstand the excitement by undertaking an Ultimate Check-Up at Preventicum.

In a separate release, the British Heart Foundation offered us, "Health Secretary Alan Johnson showed he was all heart this week when he wrote a Love Note in support of the British Heart Foundation's (BHF) Valentine Appeal." And here is his slightly manic smile to prove it ... at least it's in a good cause.

And British Waterways are plugging their survey of the wildlife you find on our towpaths and river banks with, "Britain's waterways nurture the wildest romantics."

The release goes on:

Those seeking a wild time this Valentine's Day should look no further than their local canal towpath for inspiration where some of the UK's most romantic and lusty creatures can be found.

I'm probably just being a curmudgeonly old git. Happy Valentine's day everyone!