THE NATURAL WAY TO FITNESS

Enough has been written about work-outs and how to stay in shape, training, routines, etc. There are so many ways - it's not even possible to start counting. Most of us, however, find them boring after a while and hence unable to put in the needed continuous effort. And it is not surprising, we as humans were not meant to run in place on treadmill and still not get anywhere, or stand in front of the mirror counting the reps with free weights.

Here's one activity that some of you might find interesting and a remedy for your athletic boredom. It started in France and is now all over the world. Search YouTube, there is no shortage of videos, check them out - some will take your breath away!

It is called Parkour. Some categorize it as a sport, others prefer to think of it as an activity equal to martial arts. Parkour is a way of movement, old or new - depends on how you look at it.

It's like a highly skilled return to innocence. No need for a membership, no need for any special equipment. All you need is you, your skill of movement and your city. This is probably the most natural way to get and stay fit, and that's not counting other benefits that many practitioners mention.

As all other athletic activities, and even more so, parkour has techniques that need to be mastered. Without proper training you're guaranteed to get injured. With good training you're guaranteed to have the best time while staying fit and agile.

Most of us with our sedentary lifestyles are not prepared for this type of activity, but it is definitely worth the effort. Obviously, start easy. As with any other sport - focus on the fundamentals, the basic moves, the techniques. You can find a lot of useful information and free videos on these websites urbanfreeflow.com and wfpf.com. Interestingly even athletes participating in other sports can't always do what a parkour practitioner, aka traceur, can.

This discipline is very popular among folks in their 20-40s and teens, but we think it could be very beneficial to anyone at any age for the obvious reasons. One thing is for sure, once you try it - you will never look at your surroundings the same way.

Check it out - nothing feels more invigorating than such a diversity of movement, a chance to use your entire body and experience the thrill of freedom of movement. A lot of the articles on our website can help you get started with such basics as balance, jumping, etc. We will continue this topic in the future articles.

Article by Dr. Nicholas Romanov
Composed by L. Romanov