Parkour: Reimagining a New City

While traveling, it can be a challenge to maintain an exercise routine amid the happy chaos of a new place. Whether you are at home or in a new city, Parkour is a way to make working out new again. The tradition of Parkour emerged in 1980s France and is based on the swift, decisive movements of military training. The practice can be used alone or with a group and was devised to allow for the practitioner to reimagine the city’s landscape in new ways. Those who follow the ways of Parkour are called tracers and they incorporate movements like jumping, vaulting, climbing and running into their interactions with the environment.

There are organized groups that will teach you the basic movements, discipline and repetition required of Parkour. Parkourways in Chicago is one of them. The first session is free. In your first meeting you will learn basic moves and test them out in a controlled space, usually a small park. After this you may progress to more advanced classes. Advanced Parkour is not for the faint of heart, or the less coordinated, learning the basics can be a great way to take your normal running routine to a new level when exploring a new city.