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    active houston

    The ultimate guide to Houston's best free fitness classes

    Jayme Lamm
    May 2, 2018 | 10:04 am
    Free fitness classes HIP Fitness pilates shot 2
    Pilates gets a HIP, innovative spin at this Houston studio.
    Courtesy photo

    If you have commitment issues or FOMO when it comes to finding that perfect place to sweat, burn, tone, and tighten, be sure to check out these hot spots that promise a sweat-inducing workout and deliver results, all while letting you give them a trial run.

    Orangetheory Fitness
    With 14 studios in Houston and six more set to open this year, this 60-minute high-intensity interval-based workout is equal parts cardio and strength training, incorporating treadmills, rowing machines, and a strength floor with free weights, TRX straps and abdominal equipment. Designed for all fitness levels, clients wear a heart-rate monitor during class striving to keep their heart rates in the target zones throughout the class.

    First class: Free

    Pricing: Membership and package options range from $7/session for unlimited monthly training to $28 for a drop-in session

    SWEAT 1000
    SWEAT stands for Specialized Weight Endurance Athletic Training, with 1000 representing the number of calories burned in a groundbreaking full-body one-hour workout. SWEAT 1000 integrates components of interval training, functional training, core stability work, athletic, and agility training into a dynamic, action-packed class that is different every single time. The studio is outfitted with high-end equipment including world-class FreeMotion Incline Trainers, which are capable of an incline up to 30 degrees. The fitness regimen is intense enough for the most extreme fitness enthusiasts with enough variance to cater to beginners.

    First class: Free

    EaDo Fitness
    Offering 30-minute HIIT/ Quick Fit classes utilizing a variety of dumbbells, kettle bells, running, rowing, and more in a typical boot camp style, these workouts are indoors, allowing for year-round classes. EaDo Fitness offers a beginner’s fundamental class, CrossFit classes and also yoga and commits itself to providing a supportive and exciting experience for all members – whether first timers or veterans.

    First class: Free

    Pricing: $99/month (no contract)

    Defy Pilates Studio
    These 50-minute fusion reformer classes will, without out a doubt, kick your butt (and get it in shape while doing so)! The skilled and energetic instructors at Defy will lead you through a sweat inducing routine combining elements of both classical and high intensity Pilates. The best part: workout while jamming out to super fun tunes in an intimate environment.

    First two classes: Free

    Pricing: Varies, single class is $30

    O Athletik
    This all-encompassing facility offers a wide range of classes including circuit training, weight lifting, agility, yoga, barre, kick-boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, sand fit, hill fit, kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, kids wrestling, kids yoga. Also offered are soccer and volleyball leagues included in the monthly membership fee.

    First class: Free

    Pricing: $145/month

    9Round
    9Round includes everything you need: a full-body workout that's fast, effective and fun, personal trainers to help you along the way and expert nutritional guidance that’s based on the latest exercise and nutritional science. Perfect for people seeking a unique and flexible environment, the kickboxing themed fitness program incorporates functional, interval, cardiovascular, and circuit training regimens. The best part: no class times – just drop in when you can and get to work for half an hour.

    First class: Free

    Pricing: $79-129/month for unlimited workouts

    HIP Fitness
    HIP Fitness (High Intensity Pilates) offers a 45-minute workout that works out every muscle in your body using the Megaformer. Exercises are heart-pumping, muscle burning and there is no stopping until your body is shaking. Classes are limited to 10 clients at a time to guarantee every client the attention he or she deserves. HIP Fitness offers a total-body program that combines cardio, strength training and Pilates to burn up to 700 calories in each session. Workouts are intense, low impact, and efficient. Strengthen, tighten, tone and elongate your body quickly and safely through 100s of different exercises.

    First class: Mention CultureMap and first class is free

    Pricing: Pricing varies (one month unlimited passes $195-$265/month)

    The Preserve Houston
    One of the newest and most beautiful gyms in River Oaks now offers more than 70 classes a week — everything from ATC and Metcon to yoga and Pilates with a bit of cycling in between. Cycling variations include Rhythm Ride, a 45-minute indoor studio style cycling experience (think party meets workout) and Performance Ride, a 45-minute indoor cycling ride where HIIT training with climbs, drills and intervals meeting incredible tunes.

    First class: Mention CultureMap and first class is free

    Pricing: Membership fee $229/month

    SPHERE
    Led by former MLS player Michael Chabala, SPHERE is a soccer-inspired fitness class designed to connect people on and off the field while using a ball to do more than just score goals. The two most popular classes are SPHERE – the signature non-stop soccer-inspired fitness class designed for all skill levels from beginners to pros that takes place at local parks and indoor soccer venues around Houston and POWA — 30-minutes of interval cardio treadmill routines and sideline strength training that uses the ball to shred your fitness goal and is an exclusive class only offered at the Four Seasons.

    First class: Mention CultureMap and first class is free

    Pricing: SPHERE: $15/class, $100 monthly or $200 for 3 months unlimited; POWA: $20/class, workout includes complimentary valet, use of steam room, shower, pool and hot tub at Four Seasons Hotel Houston

    Not free, but check out these first-timer deals and get ready to sweat:

    RYDE
    This next generation indoor cycling experience embodies the essence of invigorating fitness, unparalleled service and maximum burn in a luxurious boutique environment. RYDE is well known in Houston for its exhilarating music and highly skilled and energetic instructors.

    First class: $15

    Dance House Fitness (DHF)
    If you didn’t know dancing can burn some major calories, meet Dance House Fitness (DHF), which offers some of the most exhilarating and Instagram-worthy stories in a fitness environment. DHF offers 60 and 90-minute classes like dance cardio, choreography, lower body activated, interval training, yoga and more. No dance experience necessary — just positive vibes and a willingness to #werk (or #twerk).

    First class: $29 for a week of unlimited classes

    SoulCycle
    Try this 45-minute indoor cycling class that features high-intensity cardio, muscle-sculpting strength training, and rhythm-based choreography. Created to make fitness fun, inspirational, and community-driven, SoulCycle's classes are designed to transform both bodies and minds. The combination of world-class instructors, dark candlelit spaces, and high-energy music along with a full-body cardio workout fuels riders to move together in unison to create what they dub the "energy of the pack."

    First class: Texas locations are offering a buy one get one class (two for $30)

    RacePace
    RacePace offers interval-based group running classes led by certified running coaches catered to runners of all abilities. The calorie-torching classes are comprised of a variety of speed and hill intervals to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your training. Regardless of your experience or ability, clients can benefit from the instruction, support and energy that the RacePace coaches and fellow RacePacers provide. Whether you're a first-time runner or an Olympic miler, this is a good spot to work on your running and fitness goals.

    First class: $10

    ROW Studios
    Recently featured on TLC's My 600-Pound Life, ROW is a high-intensity, interval training studio in West U. Hosting more than 60 classes a week for all fitness levels, classes incorporate the rowing machine (the "erg"), where you'll be on and off the erg throughout class. All Body is their signature class, which they suggest new clients take first to get a feel for the workout.

    First class: 30 Days for $49

    ---

    *Pricing above reflects new clients only and varies by studio/location.

    fitnesshealthdance
    news/city-life

    Pestilence News

    New invasive pest threatens farms and pastures in greater Houston

    Teresa Gubbins
    Dec 12, 2025 | 11:30 am
    Mealyworm
    TAMU
    Mealyworm is small but damaging.

    Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has issued an urgent alert to farmers to inspect their pastures for a newly detected and highly damaging pest: the pasture mealybug (Helicococcus summervillei).

    According to a release from the Department of Agriculture (TDA), this invasive species, never before reported in North America, has been confirmed in multiple Texas counties and is already causing significant damage to pasture acreage across the southeast portion of the state.

    The pasture mealybug causes “pasture dieback,” leaving expanding patches of yellowing, weakened, and ultimately dead turf.

    This pest was first detected in Australia in 1928; its first detection in the Western Hemisphere occurred in the Caribbean between 2019 and 2020.

    The TDA is working with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to coordinate a rapid response and protect Texas producers.

    Mealybug history
    Although the mealybug is just now being spotted, researchers suspect it may have been introduced before 2022.

    Since mid-April 2025, southern Texas pasture and hay producers have been reporting problems in their fields. These fields show grass patches becoming brown or necrotic, or patches that are completely dead. Originally, it was presumed that symptoms were caused by another mealybug called the Rhodes grass mealybug, which has been reported in the U.S. since 1942. However, further investigations confirm that it's this new pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei).

    It has devastated millions of acres of grazing land in Australia and has since spread globally. Its rapid reproduction, hidden soil-level feeding, and broad host range make it a significant threat to pasture health and livestock operations.

    Mealybug MealybugTAMU

    Adult females are approximately 2-5 mm long, covered in a white, waxy coating. They are capable of producing nearly 100 offspring within 24 hours, resulting in several generations per season. While adult females can live for up to 100 days, most damage is inflicted by the youngest nymphs, which feed on plant sap and inject toxic saliva that causes grass to yellow, weaken, and die.

    “This is a completely new pest to our continent, and Texas is once again on the front lines,” Commissioner Miller says. “If the pasture mealybug spreads across Texas grazing lands like it has in eastern Australia, it could cost Texas agriculture dearly in lost productivity and reduced livestock capacity. TDA is working hand-in-hand with federal and university partners to respond swiftly and protect our producers from this unprecedented threat.”

    A problem for Houston
    The estimated impact area currently covers 20 counties, primarily in the Houston area, including: Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Refugio, Calhoun, Victoria, Goliad, Dewitt, Lavaca, Fayette, Jackson, Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, Wharton, Colorado, Austin, Washington, Burleson, Brazos, and Robertson. AgriLife entomologists have submitted a formal Pest Incident Worksheet documenting significant damage to pastures and hayfields in Victoria County.

    Research trials are underway to determine the best integrated pest management options. Currently, there is no known effective labeled insecticide for pasture mealybug.

    Affected plants include: Bermudagrass, Bahia grass, Johnsongrass, hay grazer (sorghum–sudangrass), St. Augustine grass, various bluestem species, and other tropical or subtropical grasses. Damage can occur in leaves, stems, and roots.

    Symptoms:


    • Yellowing and discoloration of leaves within a week of infestation
    • Purpling or reddening of foliage
    • Stunted growth and drought stress despite rainfall
    • Poorly developed root systems
    • Dieback starting at leaf tips and progressing downward
    • Premature aging, making plants more vulnerable to pathogens
    How to spot it


    • Scout regularly for mealybugs on grass leaves, stems, soil surface, leaf litter, and under cow patties
    • Focus on unmanaged areas such as fence lines, ungrazed patches, and roadsides
    • Look for fluffy, white, waxy, or “fuzzy” insects on blades and stems
    • If plants appear unhealthy and insects match this description, investigate further

    “Early identification is critical, and we need every producer’s eyes on the ground,” Commissioner Miller added. “We are working diligently with our federal and state partners to determine how to best combat this novel threat and stop it in its tracks.”

    If you observe suspicious symptoms or insects matching the descriptions above, contact TDA at 1-800-TELL-TDA immediately.

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