+ Class Descriptions

Foundations of Water Confidence

This small-group class is for adults with little to no prior pool experience, or those who feel anxious or uncertain in aquatic environments. Your goal in this class is to build comfort, trust, and confidence in the water through gentle, supportive progressions. You’ll learn how your body behaves in the water, develop calm breathing and relaxation skills, and begin practicing basic movements with instructor support. This class is ideal for adults who want to feel safe, in control, and more confident during vacations or recreational activities. By the end of the course, you will feel comfortable entering the water independently and prepared to learn foundational water safety skills.

Target skills:

• How to feel calm, safe, and supported in the water
• Basic breath control and relaxed face submersion
• Comfort with floating and gliding using instructor support
• How your body moves in the water
• Confidence entering, standing, and moving in shallow water

Essential Water Skills + Safety

This class is designed for adults who feel comfortable getting in the water and are ready to develop the core skills every swimmer needs. Your goal is to become independent with essential movements that support safety, confidence, and future stroke work. You’ll learn how to float unassisted, glide with proper body position, coordinate basic propulsion, and safely recover to standing. You’ll also practice controlled breathing and essential self-rescue skills for a variety of water situations. By the end of the course, you will feel secure and capable in the water and be prepared to begin learning formal swimming strokes.

Target skills:

• Independent front and back floating
• Gliding with good body position and easy recovery to standing
• Basic kicking and arm movements for short-distance swimming
• Rhythmic breath control
• Simple self-rescue and water safety techniques

Fundamentals of Stroke Mechanics

This class is for adults who have established basic water skills and are ready to learn the building blocks of efficient swimming. Your goal is to understand and practice the foundational mechanics of freestyle and backstroke, including body alignment, rotation, kicking, breathing rhythms, and coordinated arm movements. You’ll use targeted drills to develop smooth, sustainable technique and build the confidence to swim short distances with intention and control. By the end of the course, you will feel equipped to swim both strokes with consistency and be ready for technical refinement.

Target skills:

• Foundations of freestyle and backstroke
• Proper body position, rotation, and kicking
• How to coordinate arm movements and breathing
• Short-distance freestyle and backstroke swimming
• Beginner drills to build smooth, efficient strokes

Adult Open Practice

Open Practice sessions are uncoached swim times at our Center City pool where you can swim laps, practice skills, or do your own water workout. Sessions are booked in 30-minute increments. Swimmers may share a swim lane with up to 1 other person during Open Practice. (watch this video on lane-sharing etiquette and circle swimming!). Open Practice is available at our Center City location only (1425 Arch Street), and advance reservations are required; we cannot accept walk-ins. Swimmers must be aged 18+; no exceptions.

+ Drop-in vs. Intensive Classes

All of our coached classes in the above section are offered as drop-ins OR intensives. (Adult Open Practice is always drop-in based.) Here's the difference:

• Drop-in classes are booked one at a time on your schedule. Drop-in classes provide flexibility for you, but you may not have the same coach or classmates each session. Drop-in classes are 30 minutes each.

• Intensive classes are four-week class blocks that you book all at once: one class per week for four weeks. These give you the consistency of the same day, time and instructor (and classmates!) each week for four weeks. Intensive classes are 60-minutes long.

If booking intensives, please check your calendar FIRST to ensure you are available for all classes in your block. You will not be refunded or provided with a make-up if you cannot attend a class.

+ Pricing

Drop-in Classes: All are 30 minutes

• $35 for a single drop-in (30 days expiration)
• $120 for four-pack (60 days expiration)

Intensive Classes: All are 60 minutes

• $200 for four-class block

Open Practice:

• $15 for a 30-minute swim session

+ Cancellation and Refund Policy

FOR DROP-IN CLASSES:

Fitness Alive has a 24-hour cancellation policy. No exceptions.

There are no refunds for class cards or unused class credits. You can cancel your reservation through your Mindbody profile or in the Mindbody App.

The following cancellation policies are strictly enforced:

• Cancellation with at least 24 hours notice - no additional charge (prepaid class credit placed back on account for future use).
• Cancellation with less than 24 hours notice - class credit charged and no refund.
• No-shows - class credit charged and no refund.

FOR INTENSIVE CLASSES:

Due to the nature of a recurring enrollment for a class cohort, there are no refunds, transfers or credits for missed classes for any reason.

If you sign up and later decide you don't want to attend class, you must provide written notice at least 2 weeks before your class-block start date and we will remove you from class and provide a refund for payment. If you cancel with less than 2 weeks notice, you will not be refunded the class fee. You can send your cancellation to appointments@fitnessalivephilly.com.