- January 7, 2019

These Austin Businesses Will Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

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Each new year brings a time of reflection — what you’ve done, what you haven’t done, what you want to do. The fireworks and champagne are gone, and the new year sets in. Each January, many people make resolutions, but more often than not, those resolutions are abandoned within a few weeks.

One of the keys to keeping a New Year’s resolution is to bring others into your commitment. With help and support from others, you’re more likely to attain your goals. Friends and family are great for this, but sometimes you need professionals to help you along your journey. That’s where these Austin businesses come in. If you’re serious about your New Year’s resolution, let one of these businesses come alongside you to help you be the best version of you possible.

Eat healthier

The most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, but that isn’t your best goal. As just about any medical professional would tell you, focusing on weight isn’t the best way to go. For most people, the standbys of diet and exercise make up the tried-and-true method for getting the summer-ready body you want. First off, let’s explore some healthy Austin restaurants to keep your diet on track when you go out to eat.

Wheatsville Food Co-Op

Founded in 1976, Wheatsville Food Co-Op serves the central Austin community a full service, natural foods cooperative grocery store with two locations. It is the only retail food cooperative in Texas and has more than 20,000 invested owners. Here you can shop for your healthy ingredients or go to their deli for freshly made healthy options to suit all dietary restrictions.

Thai Fresh

Simple ingredients and simple cooking make it easy to eat healthy. And that’s exactly what you get at Thai Fresh. Opened by a husband and wife team in 2008 with decades of Austin restaurant experience behind them, Thai Fresh has plenty of dishes to keep you eating right. They’ll even teach you to fish, as they offer both group and private cooking classes. And a feature that sets Thai Fresh apart is their no tipping policy. They pay all their staff a living wage rather than having servers work for tips.

The Steeping Room

The mental image that comes to your mind when someone starts talking about a tea room is probably one of tiny porcelain cups and little cucumber sandwiches. Well, The Steeping Room doesn’t completely fit your idea of a child’s tea party on an adult scale. Sure, you can have a tea service that’ll make you ready to travel to Great Britain, but their North Lamar and Domain locations also have a wide selection of dishes on their menus complete with many healthy options.

Maintain an exercise regimen  

We’ve covered healthy eating. Now, let’s talk about exercise. Eating healthy can make you skinny, but if you want to look as healthy as you’re eating, you need to exercise. Here are a few places in town that can get you on an exercise routine and keep you on it.

RIDE

You may not think downtown Austin is conducive to a long distance bike ride, but you can ride as long as you can handle at RIDE. This indoor cycling studio pumps you up with upbeat music and energizing lighting. Most cycling sessions are 45 minutes long, so you can get in, get sweaty, and get out. They also have a location at the Hill Country Galleria.

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Gilbert’s Gazelles

The last thing many people would want to do is run long distances, but if you’re part of Gilbert’s Gazelles, you learn to “run with joy.” Gilbert Tuhabonye’s life story is amazing, and if you have the chance to hear him speak around town, you should absolutely take the opportunity. He, his coaches, and trainees can support you work toward your running goals. If you set a goal to run a marathon, Gilbert’s Gazelles can help you achieve that feat. If you’re new to running, you’ll want to start with the beginner group.

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Bicycle Sport Shop

If the only thing that comes to mind when you think about cycling is a kid riding his Huffy down a neighborhood street, you have a woefully incomplete view of cycling. The folks at Bicycle Sport Shop can hook you up with the right gear and the right group of people to get you started in cycling and to keep on a fitness program you’ll love.

Dane’s Body Shop

If you want your body to run like a sports car, the coaches at Dane’s Body Shop are the mechanics for you. They have several workout programs ranging in difficulty to match your current fitness level and where you want to be in the future. Plus, they have nutrition coaching to help you fuel up the right way.

Learn something new

New Year’s resolutions aren’t all about physical health. After getting out of the routine and pressures of formal education, many people discover the joys of learning. But who has the time? Well, you have to make time which means it must be a priority for you. Here are some Austin places where you can learn a new skill or just fill your head with trivia for your favorite bar’s pub quiz night.

Austin Community College

If you want to further your career through additional education, Austin Community College has degree programs to get you the skills you need in high demand fields like information technology, education, and healthcare. Or you can just take a few classes to learn something new. It’s up to you!

Natural Epicurean

Maybe you have that one vegan friend. All your go-to dishes are a no-go for this friend. You need some new recipes in your repertoire. That’s where Natural Epicurean can help! You walk out of their cooking classes having prepared two or three plant-based dishes. Your vegan friends won’t be bringing their own food to your parties anymore!

Ballet Austin

You may not be a ballerina, but you can learn to dance a variety of styles at Ballet Austin dance and fitness classes. You can drop in for a class in ballet, hip hop, jazz ,or other styles. They even have discounted parking available, so you have no excuse to get moving.

Travel more

Everyone wants to see the world. But maybe you don’t think you have the time or money to go on vacation. Maybe you can’t spend a month in the French Riviera. But you can probably swing a weekend trip to the Hill Country if you plan for it. These Austin businesses can help you get out and see what the rest of the world has to offer.

The Daytripper

Once Saturday morning cartoons are over on Austin’s PBS station KLRU, you can see Georgetown resident Chet Garner travel all over Texas on his show The Daytripper. The premise of the show is he gives you an assortment of places to eat and things to do in various Texas towns. Watch Chet visit a few towns, and you’ll want to gas up your car and go!

HomeAway

HomeAway can help you find the perfect place to stay for your next vacation. Locals rent out their properties to visitors, so you know you’re going to find a unique place to stay where the owners take pride in the space they offer. HomeAway has properties listed in all corners of the world, so pick your destination and then pick your lodging through HomeAway.

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TicketCity

If you need a ticket to a sporting event or concert, chances are TicketCity has seats available for you. This Austin-based ticket broker has the events you want to attend like college football  bowl games, professional sports games, music festivals, and The Masters golf tournament.


 

Feature photo: Flickr user Morgan, creative commons licensed