Burn Those Calories

The best places in Austin to get a killer workout for free

You can get a killer workout without spending a dime.

Austin consistently ranks among the fittest cities in the country — and last year, it was even deemed the fittest city in Texas. Step outside or drive around Lady Bird Lake and you'll see runners, dog walkers, stroller pushers, and more. Want to get in on the action and burn some calories?

We've compiled the places in Austin where you can get a free workout (and have fun too).

Get fit on the plaza at Whole Foods
The downtown Whole Foods hosts fitness classes on its rooftop weekly, everything from yoga to barre to boot camp. The schedule changes frequently, but through the end of April, The Barre Code is providing barre classes on Thursdays at 7 am and Outdoor Voices provides yoga classes at 10 am on Saturdays.

Make sure to keep an eye on the calendar for what's coming up in May.

Take a class at The Domain
Each month, the Athleta and Lululemon stores at The Domain designate a “studio of the month,” which then hosts free workout classes. April’s studio of the month at Athleta is Define Body and Mind, which has barre/yoga/Pilates fusion classes, and Camp Gladiator is hosting free Sunday workouts at Lululemon through the end of the month.

May’s studios haven't been announced yet, but you can look at Athleta’s website and the LuluLemon website for updates to the calendar. Past studios include Kor180, CorePower Yoga, Dane’s Body Shop, Pure Pilates, and more.

Join a community workout
Alta's Cafe on Lady Bird Lake frequently hosts yoga on the dock on Sunday nights, though there's no regular schedule. Early risers can head to Cherrywood Coffeehouse for free yoga at 8 am Monday through Friday.

Dane's Body Shop hosts complimentary workouts every first and third Sunday of the month. And Luke's Locker offers a range of events such as yoga, social runs, and a Taco Tuesday workout (count us in!).

Go for a group run
Obviously running is the ultimate free workout, but it always helps to have people around to motivate you to push harder and run faster. The Austin Runners Club and No Excuses Running groups meet several times a week at various places across town, so pick the group closest to you and give it a shot.

If you prefer to run solo, you can always hit up one of Austin’s famed trails.

Cut loose on the dance floor
If traditional workouts aren’t your thing, dancing is a great way to burn some calories (and learn a new skill too). There are plenty of places around town that will teach you how to move your feet.

The White Horse hosts two-stepping lessons on Saturdays at 7 pm and free Cajun and zydeco lessons at 7 pm on Fridays. Dance Across Texas, Wild West, Mavericks, and Graham Central Station will teach you how to two step too. If you want to learn some salsa moves, The Oasis is a popular stop on Sunday evenings. For more Latin flavor, check out tango lessons at the Russian House.

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Inspections and Registrations

Here's how Texas' new car inspection law affects end-of-year stickers

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This was supposed to make things simpler, but raises a few new questions in the transition.

Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer be required to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration.

House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, abolishes the vehicle safety inspection program for regular cars and trucks. (The Department of Motor Vehicles notes that commercial vehicles will still be required to undergo safety inspections.)

Texas will now join the 36 other states in the U.S. that do not require safety inspections. This change means that car or truck owners will now take personal responsibility for making sure that what they drive doesn’t pose a danger to anyone inside or outside of the vehicle.

Texas State Sen. Mayes Middleton spoke for us all in May 2023 when he said that “vehicle inspections are costly, time consuming and provide little benefit to public safety."

Fees
Drivers will still have to pay the annual $7.50 safety inspection fee, under a new name: Inspection Program Replacement Fee, as part of the registration fee. Those registering a new car will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee to cover the first two years.

Emissions
While the safety inspection is a thing of the past, emissions is not: 17 counties will still have to submit to emissions inspections prior to registration.

Emissions inspection tests are still required in these 17 counties:

Houston-Galveston area: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties
Dallas-Fort Worth area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties
Austin area: Travis and Williamson counties
El Paso County

Slacker info
In a statement, Staff Sgt. Rob Mallory with the Texas Highway Patrol says that "if your inspection is expiring in the next couple of months, you still need to go down and get your state inspection done in order to renew your vehicle registration for another year."

And according to a representative from the DMV, you have five business days after your current sticker expires to get a new one. This refutes common urban legends such as "you have 10 days," "you have 30 days," and "you have 6 months."

However, let's say you're a slacker whose sticker expires in November or December, and you don't renew your registration until January. You could theoretically get away with not having to get an inspection. They won't make the safety inspection retroactive.

For non-slackers: Ensure your vehicle has passed an inspection no earlier than 90 days before renewal, and include a copy of the passing Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) if it cannot be electronically verified. Plus a copy of current proof of insurance.

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