Keep Austin Weirdly Fit
Austin Ki Movement
512.553.5413 | www.ki.life
Austin Ki Movement (pronounced KEY) is a martial arts studio that focuses on Ki movement and Aikido training in order to enhance one’s stability, coordination, and personal harmony.
At Austin Ki Movement, you train with a combination of solo and paired activities, all rooted in Ki Aikido techniques. Through training, you'll learn how to move in harmony with yourself and with other people, perform techniques and get a fun and safe workout.
Jason Rosenblum has been practicing Aikido for 20 years and explains why its foundations in Ki movement make it such a unique workout and training experience for anyone, no matter their level of background in martial arts or athletics.
“Aikido is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes resolving ‘conflict’ rather than ‘defeating’ an opponent,” he says. “Training also helps us to rethink what it means to be ‘strong.’”
Brass Ovaries
Since Brass Ovaries opened up as the first pole and aerial studio in Austin in 2007, the sport has taken off in popularity as the perfect way to engage the entire body without a feeling of it being a “workout.”
Natasha Bajic, one of the studio owners, describes the mission to get back that play time that adults get robbed of after childhood.
“When you start poling you activate ancient neurological pathways that will allow you to engage in constructive play time.” Bajic says. “Our classes are designed to allow each person to release their inner monkey.”
With no athletic or dance background required to take the beginners’ course, all fitness levels are welcome and encouraged to take on the upward challenge. From private lessons to level specific classes, the trainers are prepared to encourage every person that walks in to find that natural poler inside them.
Image: Sloan Breeden
Hoop Circle
You may not have picked up a hula hoop since middle school, but Laura Scarborough says it may just be the perfect addition to your workout routine.
“I discovered hooping in 2004 from a friend. It looked so fun that I had to give it whirl,” Scarborough recalls. “The funny thing is that I couldn’t keep that hoop up to save my life!”
From then on, she became a hoop fanatic, conquering the sport and losing 30-plus pounds in the process. From just a simple circle, the benefits are focused on low impact cardio, abdominal muscles, and stability. But Scarborough has also started referring to the mental shift that hooping creates as “hoopiness.”
‘“Hoopiness’, to me, is the joy that hooping provides,” she explains. “When people step inside the hoop they immediately find their inner child.”
Images: Courtesy of Hoop Circle
Glow Paddle Austin
Paddling in Austin is a go-to activity for locals and tourists alike, making the docks crowded during the prime hours of the day. However, there’s a new way to paddle that’s even more relaxing and just as much of a workout.
Recently opened, Glow Paddle Austin solves the issues of crowds, offering night paddles available on Lady Bird Lake. The tours start at 8 p.m. and go until 9:30, giving you an hour and a half of a full arm, abdominal, leg and stability workout.
Owner Luke Adamson describes how the experience makes the workout seem like a different world.
“The multi-colored lights on the bottom of the boards attract fish and turtles that follow you throughout the tour,” Adamson explains. “We have Lady Bird almost completely to ourselves, making it a perfect escape from any busy day.”
Images: Andy Heatwole
