Summer is one of my favorite times of the year (not this heat) because of all the free outdoor activities, water, music, and sunshine. Austin has a lot of free fitness classes at this time, so I’ve included a few below as well as some of my other favorite fitness studios under $25.
FREE:
- Yoga at Barton Springs. Every Monday through July 24, Wanderlust Yoga instructors will host free yoga on the hill opposite the water from 7:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. followed by a free swim inside at 9 p.m. This is a fun way to be social with friends without the usual dinner or drinks outing, and then you can sample some food vendors like my favorite granola Wildway or try Kale Chips, different waters, etc.
- 20 Minute Sprint at Zilker. Every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., trainer Shea Boland who is a former manager at Elizabeth Street Cafe, is coaching a complimentary 20 minute sprinting class to get your heart rate racing. He also offers personal training and a 7:30 p.m. bootcamp following the sprint for donations.
- Whole Foods Fitness on the Plaza. While the workout changes monthly, this July yoga will be offered from different teachers at Wild Heart Yoga, CorePower Yoga, and Zoe Mullican Yoga M, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Friday at 5:30 p.m., Camp Gladiator will teach.
CLASSES $25 and Under:
- W Hotel Wet Deck Wednesdays. Throughout the summer, the W Hotel has partnered with fitness studios such as The Barre Code and ModFitness to offer an hour class by the pool with their instructors. In July, Stretch Yoga is doing a Sound Off Experience with wireless headphones to allow a DJ and the fitness instructor to pump music and direction into your ears. Class starts at 7 p.m. followed by complimentary cocktails by SnapKitchen. $25 pp or free to hotel guests. (The Barre Code event below)
- Crush Fitness. This studio is the most similar to the popular Barry’s Bootcamp in other major cities. Switching between tread and weighted floor exercises, your heart rate will soar through the roof. Brandon is my favorite! $25 per class or $169 unlimited per month.
- HEAT Bootcamp in South Austin may be the best deal it town. Only $22 per class and $119 for unlimited 6 month membership commitment, no workout is the same. Teachers vary between tabata and conditioning classes where you use a mix of plyometrics, TRX bands, free weights, sprints, medicine balls, and more. Try Kiel’s morning classes at 7 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
- Yin Yoga at Wanderlust every Thursday at 7:15 p.m. After all the sprinting and pulling, you’ll need a good stretch. Head to the candlelit Yin Yoga class which is meant to restore your muscles and very calming. You’ll stay on your back or stomach the whole time in poses that unleash those tight hip flexors. It’s very relaxing and not a class if you are looking for an intense workout. I might have fallen asleep to be honest.
- Pure Pilates Austin– The megaformer is a new exercise for me, but it’s also a good break from high intensity workouts and focuses more on stretching and core work. Be prepared to shake a bit when holding these poses. This is more intense than any mat pilates glass you might have in your mind and even regular reformers as it’s a bit heavier on the tension. $30 for your first two classes and $149 unlimited for your first month. Locations on Campus and The Domain.
- Paddle Boarding. You can rent your own paddle boards on Lady Bird Lake across from Austin High at the Texas Rowing Center $20 an hour (even though it says $15 online) or try out Hey Paddle! which is the workout class made on the paddles here. $12 for your first class and $20 for future single classes.
- Ro Fitness. Want to get better at the rowing machine? This class right on the water near the Town Lake portion of Rainey is $22 a class and sometimes they move the rowers outside to get fresh air and make you feel like you are actually on the lake.
