Austin residents, in general, are active people who always seem to be up for a run in Zilker Park, biking through the Hill Country, or even a simple walk downtown. Which might explain why fitness facilities, including Austin gyms, yoga and Pilates studios and weight loss clinics, have become important parts of their lives.
Tabbed as Austin’s best local gym for 2012 by Austin Fit Magazine, Pure Austin Fitness bills itself as “the indoor gym for outdoor people” and offers high intensity training as well as yoga, cardio kickboxing, cycling, and core classes. Fitness 360 is a 24-hour facility that, in addition to the standard weight training, offers “Barre 360”, which combines ballet and Pilates. Another option would be to try one of the Austin yoga studios such as Austin Yoga in the Lamar Shopping Center, which advocates Iyengar yoga for physical and mental harmony. Yoga Yoga has five locations in Austin, making it extremely convenient. Black Swan Yoga, with facilities downtown and on Westgate Boulevard, is an affordable donation-based yoga studio.
Younger than yoga but just as popular is Pilates, the workout of choice for many Austinites. The Pilates Center of Austin on Shoal Creek Boulevard is a “state of the art” studio with low introductory rates and Pilates teacher training as well. Also, the members of the Ballet Austin operate an Austin Pilates studio for individuals and classes.
For some, the problem is not toning up or building muscle but losing weight, and there are several weight loss facilities in Austin that can assist in this goal. The Austin Wellness Clinic on South Lamar offers a drug-free approach to weight loss, while the True Weight Loss Clinic on North Highway 183 employs approved prescription medications as well as nutritional education. Austin gyms, studios, and weightloss clinics can help residents achieve and maintain the shape they need to enjoy the city.