How to Exercise Like an Austinite
It's a known fact that Austin has a pretty relaxed culture, but relaxed in this case does not mean sedentary. It's one of those places where you see people being active everywhere. And somehow they just happen to look chill and happy while they exercise. Why? Because Austin has largely perfected the art of having fun with workouts. If you’re bored with your current routine, here's how to exercise like an Austinite.
How to Exercise Like an Austinite:
1. Hit the water.
With a treasure trove of lakes and swimming holes from which to choose, there are always people doing water sports in Austin. Go for a run on the trail and you’ll see people paddleboarding, rowing, wake surfing—you name it. Even when it’s under 40 degrees outside (yes, it does happen occasionally in Austin), you'll still see the diehards doing laps outside at natural swimming pools like Deep Eddy. And it will make you shiver.
2. Do yoga—outside.
Did we mention Austin is chill? Aside from the usual peppering of yoga studios and boutiques around town, you will also no doubt see people doing headstands by Barton Springs, vinyasas in the park, even yoga on paddleboards! Do like the Austinites do and bring your yoga routine outdoors. But even if you don't live in quite so sunny a clime, you can still take your yoga outside—snowga, anyone?
3. Bring your dog.
Heck—bring your dog on your paddleboard! (If you haven’t caught on yet, add a paddleboard to anything and you've just made it very Austin). Austin was ranked 4th in overall pet-friendly cities in 2018, and 2nd in pet health and wellness. What better way to take care of your pup than to combine quality time and exercise?
4. Wear Outdoor Voices.
Headquartered in Austin, Outdoor Voices makes recognizable workout wear that can be seen on active Austinites all throughout the city. The brighter color palettes of their athletic attire will make you want to stash your black leggings for good.
5. Replenish with a juice or smoothie.
Maybe it's the subtropical climate, but Austin loves its on-the-go juice. It's home to the colorful company Juiceland, and on any given day you can see a gaggle of college students or a stroller-pushing dad drinking a cup of their juice. We recommend the "Moontower"—add PB.
6. Make sure you’ve got a good playlist.
Austin is nothing if not a huge live music city. With two major music festivals occurring every year (Austin City Limits and SXSW), there's no shortage of the latest festival playlists for you to funnel into your cardio or running jams. Choose music with 145-160 bpm (beats per minute) to really enhance your cardio performance.
7. Do a unique workout.
This city is no place for boring workouts. We’re a fun-loving people, and we like to carry that into our physical activities as well. If you're in an exercise rut, look to novelty workout classes like obstacle courses, aerial fitness, Bollywood dancing, or the seriously trendy goat yoga.
8. Fuel up with a FitJoy bar.
As a local Austin brand, FitJoy protein bars go with anything on this list, or on any other list TBH. Our bars have 20 grams of premium protein to-go, and come in Chocolate Peanut Butter, Grandma's Lemon Square, Cookie Dough Brownie and Cookies and Cream. Not only will they help power your workout, but they also make a great meal replacement for those desk lunch days when exercising like an Austinite is the last thing on your to-do list.
9. Grab a friend.
We can't stress this enough: take a freaking friend with you! If for no other reason than you'll want someone to witness it when you fall off that paddleboard or take a pic of you with that yoga goat on your back. Plus, having a friend to hold you accountable is SO much better than trying to hold yourself accountable to a workout app. Plus, a Kansas State University study showed that those who work out with others are likely to work out significantly longer than those who exercise alone.
10. Reward yourself with tacos.
Abandon all other foods, ye who enter here. The only thing Austin might just love more than getting outside is Tex-Mex, and it's not unusual for tacos to make up your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wrap up (get it?) your workout by eating a taco. You deserve it!
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