How to do Le Parkour for Beginners

More and more Parkour or "free running" clubs and organizations are starting up all the time. Try meetup.com for a club near you, or just try the search engines for organisations in your area. Many clubs accept new members, and will teach you the basics, as well as guide you on exercise and fitness. Parkour clubs are great for meeting new friends with similar interests, but if you can't find one, why not get some of your friends together for some basic free running in the streets around your home. After all, one of the best things about Parkour is that it can be done anywhere!

[Image Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/volundur/2501209611/]

It's important that you have a good all-round level of physical fitness before you even attempt Parkour, with emphasis being on the core muscles, as well as stamina. Exercises such as press-ups, stomach crunches, and chin ups will go a long way to building your shoulders, arms & trunk. In addition, you should be jogging or running on a regular basis to keep your all-round fitness, legs and joints in top condition. Before going on a run or Parkour session, you should go through a thorough warm-up, to minimise risk of muscle and joint strains and sprains.

Getting over those obstacles in your path is what turns a run into Parkour. As a beginner, you should be starting off with small objects, just a couple of feet high at most. Try some simple vaults over low railings and benches, and work your way up from there. As you take on more and more obstacles, and take different and varying routes, you'll learn to spot more opportunities and more-challenging routes, but be mindful not to take on too much, too soon. Accidents do happen, but are easily avoided if you know your limits.

[Image Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/latin_snake/275216952/]

It doesn't cost the earth to kit yourself out for the sport of Parkour. Traceurs generally wear a light top, such as a t-shirt or vest, with training pants or shorts and comfortable underwear. The emphasis here is on freedom of movement. Anything you wear should not impede your ability to complete the various vaults and techniques you'll need to clear those obstacles. Sweat bands can go some way to protecting your forearms and wrists, and some people wear thin athletic gloves to assist with grip, and protect against abrasive surfaces, such as brick and concrete.

One very important part of your arsenal should be a good pair of Parkour Shoes. When learning how to do le parkour, running shoes are good, but rarely offer the grip you'll need to take on vertical objects, rails & benches etc. There are a number of shoes available, specific to the discipline of Parkour, and you can find a link to a great store, below.

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