Being active and living in Austin are synonymous. For years the city’s been building a healthy reputation, boasting residents who get outdoors for recreation and to stay in shape.
So it’s no surprise that Austin’s startup sector is also in on the fitness bandwagon. Steadily, new athletic companies are springing up around town and starting to gain momentum. Here are five we've got our eye on.
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The unique spin: The company’s app offers up free workouts that are demonstrated via video. They can be searched by category, such as great butt workouts or beach abs and users can do the fitness routines at home, at the gym or outdoors. Best part? New workouts are constantly added.
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The unique spin: The name pretty much gives it away. For Austinites or those visiting the city that don’t want to make their way to a gym — whether because they’re out of shape and want their privacy working out — or for businesses looking to create makeshift gyms in their offices, the company makes equipment like rowing machines and elliptical machines available to users. The customer doesn’t just have to pick one piece of equipment — a membership comes with the ability to swap out and try out new fitness merchandise.
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The unique spin: Wearables are, of course, all the rage. Atlas Wearables is Austin’s contribution to this phenomenon. The startup began as a crowdfunding Cinderella story, having raised $629,000 from Indiegogo and about that amount from a host of other crowdfunding sites. Now, they've got their own venture backing and a device that tracks the exercise you’re doing, the reps you’ve done and critiques your form so you know you’re doing it right. All from a wristband. Pre-orders are available now.
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The unique spin: Wannabe coaches can get the skinny on techniques for teaching a variety of sports via this web portal. CoachTube lets users “master their sport” to inspire exercise and athletic excellence for scores of others. The online courses run from free to about $100 apiece, with many running for $29. Users can learn how to teach specific skills within a sport or a fuller discipline like tee ball and soccer. Some of the courses even come from big names in the world of sports such as Mia Hamm.
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The unique spin: For serious exercisers looking to incorporate vitamins and supplements into their diets and muscle-building routines, this site lets them do so more cost-consciously. Price Plow allows users to shop around for the best deals on protein powders, joint supplements and amino acids. Many of the major supplement brands are represented on the site.
