Swim

Make a splash.

No matter age, background, or fitness level, everyone can benefit from keeping cool while keeping your heart rate up, and building endurance and muscle strength. And there are few experiences like feeling truly weightless while floating in cool, clear water. Being free from the pull of gravity is relaxing and great for aching bones and joints.

With more public pools than any other city in the country, there’s not one far from you. And don’t forget about swimming when the weather turns colder; Philadelphia has four free public indoor pools, open year-round: Lincoln, Pickett, Sayre Morris and Carousel House. Don’t like getting your face wet? You’re not limited to laps in a pool, try water aerobics using styrofoam barbells and natural resistance to tone your muscles without being fully submerged.

But if you’re new to swimming, don’t dive into the deep end just yet. Start with floating, treading water, and getting comfortable with having your head under water. Get tips from a friend or take a low-cost swim lesson. It will be worth it to get the basics down (and a pair of goggles and maybe a swimming cap), then see which strokes you like best: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, or the butterfly.