Between the generally pleasant weather and the vibrant outdoor culture, Austin is an excellent place for fitness enthusiasts. The city has no shortage of exercise classes like barre, Pilates, and Crossfit. However, if you’re interested in a more avant-garde type of workout, Austin’s got you covered there as well.

Neighborhoods.com has found its five top picks for creative fitness classes in the Austin area, with enough variety and creativity to keep your fitness plan interesting. 

Aerial Silks at Four Elements Aerial & Creative Movement - Downtown

Courtesy of Four Elements Austin

If you’ve ever dreamed of running off to join the circus, you’ll feel right at home at Four Elements Aerial & Creative Movement in Downtown Austin.

This studio focuses on aerial performance and they offer mixed-level training courses, allowing students with little to no experience the opportunity to try the silks out for themselves. Four Movements’ Open Level Aerial Silks classes teach aerial endurance while also guiding students into specific maneuvers, such as wraps, climbs, and fabric locks. The result? A strengthening workout with artistic flair. 

Hoop Dance at Inner Diva Studios — Northwest Ausitn

Courtesy of Inner Diva Studios

Inner Diva Studios, a Northwest Austin women’s fitness center with a wide array of classes, has a fantastic option for anyone looking for a touch of nostalgia with her workout: hula-hoop movement classes. Inner Diva’s hoop dance courses teach both basic hula-hoop skills as well as methods for amplifying your creative expression through the hoop. 

Inner Diva also offers thematic hula classes, like a sensual Burlesque Hoop Workshop.

Group Fitness at City Surf — South Lamar

Courtesy of City Surf

Yes, Austin is an inland city. But the team at City Surf in South Lamar doesn’t see that as a reason to deprive residents of board time and the fitness benefits.

Classes at City Surf involve specially designed indoor surfboards, which mimic the motion and resistance of real boards on the waves. The studio’s class schedule features different options depending on your personal exercise goals, from RipCore (core & cardio) to Big Kahuna (strength and cardio) to Pipeline (barre & Pilates-infused). 

Videodance at Ballet Austin — Downtown

Courtesy of Ballet Austin / Youtube

Dance classes are a tried-and-true fitness regimen. But dance classes that teach you choreography from your favorite music videos and movies? That’s the fun twist you’ll find at Ballet Austin’s Videodance, located in Downtown Austin.

From Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to N*SYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”, Videodance will coach you on the moves, encourage you to sing along, and lead you and the rest of the class in intense one-to-four-week workshops, depending on the dance’s complexity. 

Parkour at BAM Academy — North Lamar

Courtesy of Texas Parkour

A movement program inspired by military obstacle-course training, parkour relies on the use of terrain obstacles to increase efficiency. It’s a challenging process that incorporates running, climbing, jumping, and balancing, providing a thorough full-body workout. 

At BAM Academy in North Lamar, students can partake of parkour courses at multiple skill levels, allowing for a well-rounded education in the technique. There are even camps for kids who really want to commit to hitting those landings.