We’re sure that you’re pretty familiar with the whole “age’s just a number” narrative. Naturally, there are some of your that wonder: okay, so can that age-old saying (no pun intended) work with parkour? Well, you’re just about to find out. In other words: today we’ll discuss the so-called best age to learn parkour (if there is such a thing at all).
Okay, let’s say you’re kinda new to the world of parkour. Besides finding out whether you fit inside the best age group for learning parkour, you might as well want to learn some additional beginner’s info related to the sport. Don’t worry, we’ll also tackle that subject in the article below!
There’s no such a thing as the best age to learn parkour. No matter how old you are, you’ll always have the opportunity to try out this fantastic activity. However, here’s one thing: always trust your body, exercise regularly, and respect your limits. That way, you’ll steer clear of injuries related to this sport, regardless of your age.
Now, now. It’s not like reading just the preview and thinking that’s totally fine will do you any good. Feel free to read the whole thing!
Table of Contents
Should I learn parkour?
Before we venture deeper into today’s article subject field, it’s best that we answer some of the frequently asked questions related to the extreme sport better known as parkour. One of the most popular questions you’ll find lurking around the online parkour community is the following: should I learn parkour, and if so – why?
You’ll be happy to know that there are many reasons why one would want to learn parkour. Here we’ve gathered a few of them just so you get the idea of why this activity could be beneficial to most folks:
- Parkour helps battle anti-social behavior. The practitioners of this sport (called traceurs) are well-known for their sense of community.
- Parkour will assist you in becoming more agile. If you’ve ever watched a parkour video, you’ve seen how most of the folks that do parkour traverse the urban or non-urban landscapes. There’s no need to say anything else.
- Parkour keeps you in shape. It’s a physically demanding activity that will help you stay in shape. If practiced regularly, that is.
- Parkour will greatly boost your self-confidence. Becoming better and better at it, you’ll see that your confidence is rising accordingly.
- Parkour doesn’t require you to wear any expensive equipment. You could say that parkour is one of the least expensive extreme sports, if not the least expensive one.
Of course, there are many things we could add here, but we’re sure that this is enough to spark some good interest in even the most apathetic of folks. Anyway, let’s see if there’s anything else we’d like to say about this phenomenal activity!
Is it hard to learn parkour?
Let’s introduce another one of those age-old sayings: everything is difficult if you’re not interested enough. Could the same thing be applied to parkour? Well, it depends. The thing is: if you have an athletic background, there’s a good chance you’ll have an easier time learning parkour than folks without such an item in their biography.
Also, whether or not parkour is hard to learn will depend on the type of activity you choose to do. For instance, fast & aggressive parkour will most probably prove to be more difficult than some lightweight stuff (obviously). All in all: you should respect your limits once, of course, you get to know them!
Okay, now that we’ve gone through these introductory paragraphs, it’s time we consider the main question of this article: what is the best age to learn parkour? Stay tuned!
What is the best age to learn parkour?
First things first, it might be better to ask: is there such a thing as the best age to learn parkour? Since parkour is a very individual sport (meaning that folks who practice it have all the freedom in the world to decide whether they’ll practice in this or that manner), we can’t say that there is an answer that could be considered objective or universal. That being said, our answer reads the following: there simply isn’t something you’d call the best age to learn parkour. We’ll further elaborate on that thought!
Now, of course, one could say: okay, but what if you’re 70 years old, couldn’t that be an issue? Good question! As we get older, our bodies, unfortunately, aren’t what they once were. In other words: it’s harder to exercise, and the overall risk of breaking something is higher. Therefore, folks become downright fearful of trying out new things and experiences. Is it absolutely fine to think in such a manner or is it absurd to do so?
If you’re constantly exercising and well aware of your limits (meaning you’re not irrational or, on the other hand, irrationally fearful), you’re able to start parkour practice at any age. It’s like the good old “all ages” concept that arose in the straight-edge community during the 1980s. The thing is: you need to know what exactly your limits are and if it’s possible to sometimes push them a tiny bit further.
If you’re over 60 and thinking: well, there aren’t any parkour groups I can join and you’ve mentioned earlier it’s a sport that boosts community spirit, what do I do? First of all, don’t worry, there are many parkour groups of seniors today, so you’ll just need to do a bit of research.
Lastly, if you’re 19 and you’re for whatever reason thinking parkour mightn’t be right for you, click here.
10 Beginner parkour tips
Okay, so now that we’ve explained why there’s no such a thing as the best age to learn parkour, it’s time we introduce you to some beginner parkour tips we’re pretty sure you’ll find pretty useful. Let’s take a closer look!
#1 Check the surface
Always make sure you’ve checked the surface you’re planning to “work with”. Why’s that so? Well, it just might be more slippery than meets the eye and you can prevent fall-related injuries by checking it first.
#2 Listen to what your body tells you
If you’re practicing parkour together with an instructor, sometimes they’ll tell you to do something you’re not yet capable of. If your body loudly says NO, please refrain from doing a certain activity and prevent hurting yourself.
#3 Choose your shoes wisely
You’ll need to find a top-quality running shoe that’s light and possesses plenty of grip, yet not too much padding. Most traceurs would tell you New Balance shoes get the job done!
Speaking of correct parkour footwear, here’s an article covering whether it’s possible to parkour in boots safely.
#4 What about other clothing items?
Just like you’ll need proper shoes, you’ll also need proper clothes for parkour practice. In the perfect scenario, you’ll want to wear light sweatpants that aren’t too long and a long-sleeve T-shirt that’s not too thick. This combo will keep your knees and elbows safe & sound much more than shorts plus a short-sleeve T-shirt mix would do.
#5 Don’t forget to warm up and stretch before each session
This one’s definitely of the most important tips concerning every physical activity out there and parkour’s no exception: don’t do anything before you warm up and stretch a little. This combo will help you remain injury-free. So, yeah, warm up then stretch (in that order).
#6 Don’t forget to stretch after each session
Most folks usually forget this, but it’s very important that you don’t since you’ll probably regret not stretching after a good physical workout. This will help you battle the good ol’ soreness and enhance the flexibility of your muscles.
#7 Stay humble (don’t show off)
Let’s say you’ve noticed you’re getting quite good at parkour. Naturally, some folks would like to show off how well they’re training. However, it’s better you stay humble and don’t show off much. Not only will it ruin the sense of community you’ve built with other traceurs, but your ego can also push you into harming yourself for no reason other than self-promotion. And that’s no good, you’ll agree.
#8 Try not to eat too much before a session
Just like you wouldn’t jump into a pool with a full stomach, a few minutes after you’ve had a large meal, you also shouldn’t practice parkour once you’ve eaten too much, you’ll eat afterward and it’ll be sweeter, trust us.
#9 Visit parkour gyms
Too scared of trying out your first moves in parkour on concrete? If that’s so, and you’ve got a parkour gym nearby, there’s the place where you’ll want to train your parkour skills and moves. Of course, you can always practice parkour at home, too.
#10 Groundwork’s essential
Last but not least, let’s talk about groundwork. The thing is: as you progress, you’ll want to gradually tackle higher “altitudes”. For instance, instead of trying six-foot precision air jumps, you’d want to begin with practicing jumping line-to-line on sidewalks. Once you start getting pretty good at it, only then you should move up higher. Speaking of high jumps and everything, here’s a text on how parkour practitioners (traceurs) jump so high.
Final words
Alright, folks, that’s about all we’ve got to say related to the best-age-to-learn-parkour-and-if-there’s-actually-such-a-thing topic. Hopefully, you’ve had some fun reading this one, and you’re now well aware that even if you’re past a certain age (where you’d say parkour ain’t gonna happen), this sport shouldn’t be somehow forbidden to you. For more tips on various parkour-related topics, themes, and additional info, simply click right here.
