13 Reasons We Can’t Wait for Warm Weather in Philly

Farmers' markets everywhere, picnics (with farm-fresh picnic snacks!), outdoor yoga — and the list goes on and on.

Yoga on the Pier | Photo by Matt Stanley

Yoga on the Pier | Photo by Matt Stanley

Lately, the weather has been like a flaky Tinder date. One minute, it’s sunny and warm and the next, it’s cold and isn’t answering your texts. Okay, maybe the ghosting-on-texts part doesn’t apply, but the cold definitely does. This week alone, the temperatures are supposed to flip-flop between the 40s and the 70s. Just as confusing as your last Tinder fling, right?

But the first day of spring is just 13 days away (!!), which means that temperamental weather should soon — hopefully! — be a thing of the past, with warm temps here to stay through September or so. Below, 13 reasons we can’t freakin’ wait for warm weather in Philly. If you’ve got reasons to add, list ‘em off in the comments!

1. Farmers’ markets everywhere you look

Is there anything better than stumbling onto a farmers’ market and managing to knock out all of your grocery shopping without ever stepping foot in a freezing cold supermarket with fluorescent lighting that makes you want to gauge your eyes out? The answer is no. There is nothing better. And soon, there will be farmers’ markets to stumble upon all over town. So here’s to munching on a baguette that you bought straight from the baker on your walks home from your weekly grocery trips.

2. Picnic season

Let me go ahead and name the ways picnics rule: They are free, they are oh-so-Instagram-worthy (especially if you are the owner of a checkered picnic blanket and a basket), they are dog-friendly — I could literally list off reasons until my fingers fall off, so I’ll stop there. But long story short: Picnics are awesome, and Philly is filled with great places to plop down on a picnic blanket and soak up the sun.

3. The return of outdoor yoga

We love our Philly yoga studios, but nothing quite beats getting your downward dog on under the sun. And with spring comes outdoor yoga season, with roughly a billion outdoor yoga classes (okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration) around Philly — many of them, like Yoga on the Pier, free or donation-based.

4. Plus, loads of other outdoor fitness classes, too

And speaking of outdoor yoga, we also can’t wait for outdoor boot camps and boxing (remember CKO Kickboxing’s awesome looking outdoor classes last year?) and everything else sweaty.

5. Bike rides along the many trails around Philly

Biking in the winter months is just … not fun. Your fingers are freezing and your face is being whipped with wind and all you want to do is arrive at your destination with some, if any, of your makeup still clinging to your face. So we are so looking forward to leisurely rides along the Schuylkill, getting the ultimate Saturday bike ride in — without counting down the seconds until we get to quit pedaling.

6. Hiking — with green leaves!

Winter hikes are fine — even nice in some ways. The trails of the Wissahickon are less crowded, for one. But spring hikes beat winter hikes out of the park, because green leaves! And picnics (see above) along creeks! And sunshine!

7. Greenery! Period.

Philly, as much as I love it, can get pretty ugly in the winter. It’s just so … grey. So the return of greenery is something to cheer about, don’t you think?

8. Escaping to the Shore

You know what’s better than a cardio workout in a gym? Playing frisbee on the sand and calling it your cardio workout. Plus, day trips down the Shore are a sign that summer Fridays, if your office offers them, are in our future. Hooray!

9. Beach runs

Running on the beach, with the waves splashing next to you and the sun beating down on you, is like its own form of free therapy, and who doesn’t love that? When the time comes, we have some sweet beach run routes for you to try here.

10. Shaded trail runs

Remember all that greenery we mentioned earlier? Well, it lends a helping hand on long runs come warmer weather. If you’re looking for pals to hit the trails with, the running group Chasing Trail tackles trails in the Wissahickon every weekend — and they often refuel with food afterward, picnic style.

11. Be Well Philly Boot Camp

Have we mentioned just how excited for Be Well Philly Boot Camp we are? Because we are SO freakin’ excited, so of course our annual women’s event full of everything health and fitness — including an outdoor fitness tent! — gets a spot on this list. You can snag your ticket here so you have one more thing to be excited for come warm-weather season, too.

12. The Broad Street Run

The vibes at the Broad Street Run, whether you’re running it or just cheering from the sidelines, are just so good. And trust me, I am so rolling my eyes at myself for using the “vibes” in a sentence, but that is truly the best way to describe the energy at the annual race: Full of good vibes. Psst: If you’re running Broad Street, we’ve got tons of training tips for you right here.

13. SUP Yoga on the Schuylkill

If you didn’t get a chance to get your savasana on on the Schuylkill last year, you’ll have plenty of opportunities come spring. The ladies who run Aqua Vida tell us they’re bringing SUP yoga back to Spruce Street Harbor Park (another thing we’re excited about!) sometime in May.

Like what you’re reading? Stay in touch with Be Well Philly — here’s how: