Is Parkour Healthy?
Yes, yes it is (if practiced in a healthy way).
Lately in my training I've been asking myself this question more and more often. Am I just breaking my body down and setting myself up for chronic injuries and painful stiff joints in years to come, or am I building my body up to withstand the rigors of use? I believe everyone practicing parkour/freerun/movement art should be asking themselves this question regularly.
Parkour can be both destructive and constructive, as traceurs we have a responsibility to know the line and cross it only with the intention of doing so and the knowledge of potential consequence. Do not think for a second that performing acrobatics on concrete and hard surfaces, landing from even low or moderate heights, and many other common movements don't break down the impact-absorbing mechanisms in the knees, ankles, hips, back, etc. Balancing time spent training these techniques with an informed, correct strength and conditioning regimen, flexibility and posture-correcting efforts, and healthful recovery and diet practices is absolutely essential to keeping a parkour practice on the "healthy" side of the spectrum.
I won't tell anyone what they should or should not do, I only wish for people to make informed decisions. If someone wants to knowingly and willfully pull big, adrenaline-producing stunts with a conscious disregard for consequences down the line, that's their business and as long as they don't recommend it as a sustainable and healthy way to go about things. I sometimes feel this way myself. "You're only young for so long, live life to the fullest", right?
I see parkour as the bridge between extreme sports and physical health disciplines, between skateboarders and yogis, the mountain bikers barreling down the hill and the Tai Chi practitioners in the meadow at the bottom. Finding a balance between the rush of big move and the respect for your future body is something we must all do and keep in the back of our minds at all times.
Just some thoughts that have been rattling around in my head for a while.
Happy Trainings!
Travis
Lately in my training I've been asking myself this question more and more often. Am I just breaking my body down and setting myself up for chronic injuries and painful stiff joints in years to come, or am I building my body up to withstand the rigors of use? I believe everyone practicing parkour/freerun/movement art should be asking themselves this question regularly.
Parkour can be both destructive and constructive, as traceurs we have a responsibility to know the line and cross it only with the intention of doing so and the knowledge of potential consequence. Do not think for a second that performing acrobatics on concrete and hard surfaces, landing from even low or moderate heights, and many other common movements don't break down the impact-absorbing mechanisms in the knees, ankles, hips, back, etc. Balancing time spent training these techniques with an informed, correct strength and conditioning regimen, flexibility and posture-correcting efforts, and healthful recovery and diet practices is absolutely essential to keeping a parkour practice on the "healthy" side of the spectrum.
I won't tell anyone what they should or should not do, I only wish for people to make informed decisions. If someone wants to knowingly and willfully pull big, adrenaline-producing stunts with a conscious disregard for consequences down the line, that's their business and as long as they don't recommend it as a sustainable and healthy way to go about things. I sometimes feel this way myself. "You're only young for so long, live life to the fullest", right?
I see parkour as the bridge between extreme sports and physical health disciplines, between skateboarders and yogis, the mountain bikers barreling down the hill and the Tai Chi practitioners in the meadow at the bottom. Finding a balance between the rush of big move and the respect for your future body is something we must all do and keep in the back of our minds at all times.
Just some thoughts that have been rattling around in my head for a while.
Happy Trainings!
Travis
posted by Travis Graves at
10:28 PM
1 Comments:
Glad to hear I'm not the only one asking myself that question!
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