9 Healthy Things to Do This Weekend in Philadelphia
From free fitness classes to greenhouse chilling, we've got your weekend calendar booked.
Barre3’s day of free classes on Saturday is just one of many healthy things you can do this weekend. / Photograph courtesy Barre3
Phew. Was January as long for you as it was for us? These bleak temperatures have us all out of sorts and wanting nothing more than to curl up under a blanket with the largest mug of tea ever. But the weather’s slowly warming up (high of 45 degrees on Sunday!). And honestly, we wouldn’t let the bitter winds stop us from enjoying the city anyway. You shouldn’t either. Here’s five healthy ways you can get out of the house and still stay toasty.
GO TO A GREENHOUSE. ANY GREENHOUSE. We do have a few in mind. The Fairmont Park Horticulture Center on Saturday kicks off nine straight days of “Getaway at the Greenhouse” — summer-themed events spread across five designated areas. (We’re especially into the Beach, which is supposed to be basically an oversize sandbox.) Register for free here. If you’re willing to trek out to Kennett Square, the Orchid Extravaganza ($12 to $23, free for kids four and under) has descended on Longwood Gardens, and the purple blooms are sooo soul-soothing. Any balmy environment filled with bright flowers will likely lift your spirits, though.
DRINK A HEALTHYISH COCKTAIL. Emphasis on the ish. Bartender Nathan Weigert’s Friday night workshop at Art in the Age will walk you through how to make cocktails using natural sugars — honey, agave, maple syrup — instead of refined sugars; your body can process the former more easily. (If you caught our Instagram story earlier this week, you saw Weigert make us a version of the classic Clover Club using gin, fresh cherries, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.) The event, from 5 to 9 p.m., is free to attend, but you’ll pay about $12 to $15 for each drink you’d like to sample. The menu includes four: an antioxmo, a take on a cosmopolitan with goji-berry-infused vodka; a snappy gin fizz made with snap pea purée and Ripple Foods’ pea protein; a stonefruit sour (instead of a bourbon sour); and a green julep with freshly juiced apple and celery, lemon, honey syrup, and cinnamon. YUM. Register here.
TAKE A FREE BARRE CLASS. Barre3 is celebrating its two-year anniversary at its Rittenhouse Square location while the Bar Method is celebrating its one-year anniversary at its Rittenhouse Square location. (Seriously.) Both are offering free classes on Saturday. Barre3 has five, complete with DJ-spun tunes, to choose from, along with a pop-up coffee bar from Function Coffee Labs and a raffle after each session. The Bar Method has three classes (and one for members only) on the docket, plus reiki sessions, horoscope readings, a hair-braiding and blow-dry station, a special appearance by acro yoga expert Robert Li, and healthy snacks from Snap Kitchen. Register here for Barre3 and here for the Bar Method. Tag us on Instagram at @bewellphilly if you’re a champion and hit both spots.
TAKE A FREE YOGA CLASS. Charge Performance and Wellness does primarily steel mace training (a full-body workout with this crazy medieval-looking weight that’s essentially a stick with a heavy ball on one end), but the Bella Vista gym just added yoga classes to its schedule. Attending Saturday’s free 11 a.m. session is a good way to see whether the classes are actually legit. Bonus: Run — or walk if you’re tuckered out — afterward to Hale & True Cider Co. for $1 off ciders and discounts from Nomad Pizza Company. Register here.
GET REWARDS FOR BEING HEALTHY. During the month of February, any juice or smoothie you purchase from Sip-N-Glo Juicery will count toward a gift card. The dollar amount will depend on how many drinks you buy. Fourteen gets you “sip squad” status and a $20 gift card; for 20, you’ll be dubbed a “green beast” and get a $30 gift card; and 28 means you’re a “glo pro” receiving a $50 gift card. Sip-N-Glo will hand out the gift cards on March 1st.
If you’re looking to up your exercise quota, the RunTheHill Facebook group has partnered with Balance Chestnut Hill and Inspyr Socks to run (hehe, sorry) #FitFeb. Each week in February, those who post photos in the group of themselves finishing a workout, leaving the gym, doing an extra rep — basically anything that proves you’re being active — will be eligible for prizes. This week, two pairs of Inspyr running socks and two group fitness classes from Balance Chestnut Hill are up for grabs. And if you’re anything like us, there’s nothing that motivates you to move like free stuff.
Bonus: In desperate need of a healthy option for your Super Bowl shindig? Pick up some of Front Street Cafe‘s famous buffalo cauliflower — or make it yourself.
Got an event you’d like to submit for our weekly roundup of healthy events? Email mfischer@phillymag.com.
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