Injury Prevention, Public Health

How to fall without getting hurt

Humans have a problem with falling down. More accurately, we have a problem with getting hurt when we fall. Mix Earth’s gravity with our upright walking, and there is a non-zero chance that everyone will take a spill someday. Falling is inevitable. It’s the getting injured part that doesn’t have to happen. Although fall-related injuries …

Parkour, Public Health

5 Parkour Concepts for Healthy Aging

Overcoming obstacles is part of the human predicament. And unfortunately, the older you get the more your body seems to conspire against you. Age-related conditions like loss of muscle mass, decreased vision, and joint stiffness, can make it ever harder for some older adults to be safe in the world. With that in mind, take …

Injury Prevention, Parkour

2016 Parkour Injury Survey Summary

Anecdotal advice about parkour injuries is easy to encounter. Unfortunately, that type of guidance only works for an underground tribe. As a sport enters the mainstream, a more complete strategy is needed. With dozens of gyms and tens thousands of new athletes joining our ranks, it is time to get serious about parkour injury prevention. Ryan …

Parkour

3 Reasons Why Parkour Should Replace Gymnastics in Schools

The 2016 school year marks an important milestone for the history of physical education. Earlier this summer, American Parkour announced that parkour would replace gymnastics in Washington DC middle schools. That is huge news! From its debut on French televisions 20 years ago, to becoming a taxpayer-funded PE class, the sport has gained immense respect. …

Injury Prevention

Achilles Tears and Parkour

Hearing your body pop unexpectedly is an athlete’s worst nightmare. It happened to me once when I was 15 years old. I went to toss a front flip during gymnastics practice, and as soon as I punched the ground, my leg popped like a mini thunderclap. After crashing on the spring floor, I looked down to …

Parkour

Playing with the Elements

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize how the weather impacts your training. A recent rainfall demands precaution with jumping and landing. Two feet of snow obscures common obstacles. An ice storm might push your training to a covered area, someplace unglazed by frozen water. As parkour athletes, we pursue our craft in the elements, …

Parkour, Strength and Conditioning

Short-Form vs Long-Form Training

You’ve been training for a few months now, building strength, acquiring skills, and gaining confidence. You’ve got some different vaults under your belt, and appreciate how your balance has been steadily improving. Most importantly, you feel safe training outdoors, and trust your ability to recover from a bail. Overall, your training has been going really …

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