Picture this. You’re running from a hungry lion and only one thought is on your mind: “How do I get away from him before he eats me?” Before you have time to change thoughts you notice a table getting closer. Your thoughts race. You could go around the table, but why waste time? The lion will be that much closer. So instead, you jump over it, land, and keep running. There are more tables in the way and jumping takes a lot of energy, so you use a Kong Vault — diving forward over the obstacles and pushing off the tops with both hands while tucking in your legs. You’ve now passed over the obstacle just as quickly, but you’ve made the movement more efficient and saved energy.
Behind you, the sound of the lion’s soft yet powerful roar fills the air, but you don’t look back. Instead, you run towards a rail, jumping over it as you place one arm down to propel your body sideways and guide its motion with your hand. You see a building with a low roof only thirteen feet high. You charge at it. Only a few feet away, you push off of the ground with your left foot and begin to run up the wall. Your body shoots up. You reach high with your hands and pull yourself over the top. You keep running along the rooftop and jump over a small gap. As you land, you notice the sound of silence. You’ve won. You’ve managed to outrun the lion.
While Parkour is by no means a “new” exercise, it is something that we’re excited to add to our workout routine as the weather warms up. Parkour is first, moving from point A to point B in the fastest, most efficient way possible. Second, you are using your physical abilities and the surrounding environment to help get you through this path that you have chosen. As you saw from the example, the surrounding environment could be tables, bars, or even walls. You’re basically using your surroundings to your advantage.
Check out this video on First 5 Beginner Parkour Moves to learn things like the basic roll, safety vault, wall run, turn vault, and precision jump. You can also check out Parkourpedia, an online resource to learn about Parkour, its history, and strength exercises.
If you’re looking for an entertaining video about people who shouldn’t be doing Parkour, check out this clip from NBC’s show “The Office.”
We invite you to switch up your exercise routine with basic Parkour movements. Get out of your Liv Ahwatukee apartment and explore Phoenix, AZ in a fun and exciting way. You don’t have to be training for your next obstacle course or be super fit to do well at Parkour. Just take a few simple steps and you’ll be moving smoothly and quickly to your next destination in no time.
