The Blog

Austinites, do you share our pipe dream of being out on the lake every day? You can achieve that dream without the rowing experience at Ro Fitness, an indoor studio right beside the Waller Creek Boathouse! They bring their rowing machines onto the deck overlooking the water on sunny days, and it’s an awesome cardio workout for all ages and levels.

Ro Fitness co-founders Chelsea Moore and Zach Richardson opened Ro two years ago when the only indoor rowing facility in Austin closed. Although Chelsea rowed for OU in college and Zach rowed for UT, the two managed to overcome any rivalry and become great business partners. “Ro Fitness started by a few friends who love rowing and saw the benefits of it. We wanted to make it so rowers and non-rowers could do the workout, not necessarily having to be skilled on the water to get the benefits!” Chelsea shared. “It’s a cardio-alternative, so it’s low impact. People are starting to know about the rowing workout and how it’s great cross-training, and great for cardio if you don’t want to abuse your knees, your joints, your hips, your ankles.”

 We asked Chelsea and Zach if Ro is truly for anyone to try. “It’s for all fitness levels!” Chelsea told us, “We get really high level athletes and also their moms, their sisters, their grandmothers! A few that are in their 70’s, they’re the most inspiring. Everyone’s doing the same workout, your output is just a little bit different.”

The rowing duo is excited to promote their classes on the Choose Healthier app, and for Central Texans to be able to discover other great studios and options on the app, because they recognizing that Ro isn’t for every body! “Everyone wants or needs something different. To be able to get beyond all of the individual programs’ marketing and assess all of the opportunities, is what’s so great about this.” Zach explained that a potential client “might not be right for us, and they might be right for something else! Having that option, so that one class that isn’t the right fit doesn’t stall their efforts and cause them to give up on health, is really cool.”

Sign up today while the weather’s just right and try your first Ro Fitness class for free!