by Sophie Huff

Created on: November 26, 2009

It's the new trend in fitness. Parkour is the work-out program that's beginning to take the world by storm.

It was just within the past decade that Pilates became the new trendy exercise program. And it was everywhere. I hardly knew anyone who hadn't taken a Pilates class, bought a Pilates tape, or read about how to do it in a book or magazine.

Now we seem to be ready for something new. Enter Parkour.

Parkour (sometimes known as PK or as "free running") is a non-competitive activity that involves jumping, climbing, or in some manner physically maneuvering your way around obstacles in your way. According to the American Parkour website it's officially defined as "the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment."

Essentially, the goal is to get from one place to another using only your body and the objects between you and your destination. Let's say you want to maneuver yourself all the way down one city block using the principals of Parkour. You would be jumping on benches, climbing light poles and hopping onto trashcans. You would use anything in your path that would help you continue on your way without ever needing to step foot on the sidewalk.

A bit of history on Parkour: like Pilates, Parkour is nothing new. It was created over a hundred years ago by a French Naval officer who taught Parkour as part of the training for military personnel.

It seems to be perfect for us aging Generation X'ers. After all, it was our generation that flocked to the skateboard. Skateboarding combined everything that defined our generation. It was unusual. It was retro. It was often against the law. Parkour takes that "extreme" vibe many adults yearn to recapture.

But while there's the feel of lawlessness, it's not goal. In fact, most people practicing Parkour make every effort to find safe and legal places. If asked to leave by authorities, most are quick to comply. Although video of people breaking the law and jumping from rooftops may be popular, it's not representative of the common practice of Parkour.

And forget boredom. Those who feel like guinea pigs running on a wheel when taking on the treadmill at the gym can appreciate the mental challenge Parkour offers. Each obstacle you encounter first requires the mental decision of whether or not you should tackle it, and further decisions of how you'll do it. Will it be a big jump? Will you pull yourself up with arms? Will you need to vault yourself

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