Parkour is a disciplined art of navigating environments with agile movements, creativity and adaptability.
HAVE you ever seen Jackie Chan scaling a wall or flipping seamlessly over a stack of crates while simultaneously escaping from the bad guys and thinking to yourself, "Yeah, I could probably do that!"
Well, you shouldn’t. Not without the proper training, of course.
While the sport of parkour has gained popularity over the last few decades, some still believe it belongs only in the realm of movies and to be performed by daredevils.
So, is this true? Is parkour only for movies and stunt people?
Verdict:
FALSE!
In 2017, the United Kingdom became the first country in the world to recognise parkour as a sport.
Much closer to home, in August of 2023, the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) made preparations to include gymnastics parkour to be contested at the national level.
Beyond a conventional sport, parkour is a lifestyle choice that provides an escape from the confines of strict rules, standardised settings, and mandatory competitions.
It is a disciplined art of navigating environments with agile movements, creativity and adaptability.
Parkour embraces unconventional techniques, such as running, jumping, climbing, and vaulting, to overcome obstacles swiftly and smoothly.
It differs from freerunning, a common variation of the sport that is often used interchangeably.
In addition to providing you with a fresh perspective, parkour has been noted to be an effective strategy for enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness and strength.
According to an article published in 2017 by The Open Sports Sciences Journal, a study was conducted on the effects of parkour on health-related physical fitness in male adolescents.
12 males, matched in height, weight, and age, participated in a controlled indoor parkour intervention. The intervention required them to engage in sessions twice a week for ten weeks.
Prior to and following the program, participants underwent comprehensive assessments, including cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), strength evaluations, and body composition analysis.
At the conclusion of the study, parkour was recognised as a feasible form of physical activity as the sport offers a valuable avenue for enhancing the overall health and fitness of children and teenagers.
In another study published by the World Journal of Education, it was found that parkour can be a game-changer in promoting health at schools, especially for students who are usually not into exercise or health.
All in all, parkour sounds like a form of non-traditional self-care that could just be right up your alley.
If you’re looking to kickstart your parkour journey, hit up your local gyms for programs, or if you’re still in school, check out your extracurricular activity class list or suggest it to your faculty.
So, lace up those sneakers, embrace the urban jungle, and let parkour be your passport to a limitless playground of physical prowess and unbridled self-discovery.
The journey awaits – soar, vault, conquer!
References:
1. https://thecontentauthority.
3. https://thecontentauthority.
5. https://link.springer.com/
7. https://files.eric.ed.gov/
