Seniors learn 'parkour,' sport of daredevil youths In this Tuesday, June 17, 2014 photo, George Jackson, 85, an army veteran and former boxer swings on monkey bars as he participates at a parkour class for elderly people at a park in south London. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) On a recent morning in London, Lara Thomson practiced spinning on benches, swinging from metal bars and balancing off raised ledges - all elements of a daredevil discipline known as "parkour." What was unusual about the scene is that Thomson is 79 and all of her classmates are over 60. They are members of a unique weekly class for seniors in a sport more commonly known for gravity- defying jumps than helping people with arthritis. Invented in the 1980s in France, parkour is a sport usually favored by extremely nimble people who move freely through any terrain using their own strength and flexibility, often using urban environments such as benches, buildings and walls as a type of obstacle course. It's also known as free running. The London parkour class of about a dozen students is taught by two instructors who have adapted the sport's main elements to a level that can be handled even by those over 60 who have replacement joints or other medical conditions. "I wondered whether it was a government plot to get rid of old people when I heard about the class," Thomson joked. She said she has balance problems and that the class helps her feel more confident about getting around. "Being able to get outside and do silly things like hugging trees is great," she said, referring to a stretching exercise.
Seniors learn 'parkour,' sport of daredevil youths
May 25, 2015
In this Tuesday, June 17, 2014 photo, George Jackson, 85, an army veteran and former boxer swings on...
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Seniors learn 'parkour,' sport of daredevil youths
In this Tuesday, June 17, 2014 photo, George Jackson, 85, an army veteran and former boxer swingson monkey bars as he participates at a parkour class for elderly people at a park in south London.(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
On a recent morning in London, Lara Thomson practiced spinning on benches, swinging from metalbars and balancing off raised ledges - all elements of a daredevil discipline known as "parkour."
What was unusual about the scene is that Thomson is 79 and all of her classmates are over 60.
They are members of a unique weekly class for seniors in a sport more commonly known for gravity-defying jumps than helping people with arthritis.
Invented in the 1980s in France, parkour is a sport usually favored by extremely nimble people whomove freely through any terrain using their own strength and flexibility, often using urbanenvironments such as benches, buildings and walls as a type of obstacle course. It's also known asfree running.
The London parkour class of about a dozen students is taught by two instructors who have adaptedthe sport's main elements to a level that can be handled even by those over 60 who havereplacement joints or other medical conditions.
"I wondered whether it was a government plot to get rid of old people when I heard about the class,"Thomson joked. She said she has balance problems and that the class helps her feel more confidentabout getting around. "Being able to get outside and do silly things like hugging trees is great," shesaid, referring to a stretching exercise.
While most fitness classes aimed at seniors focus on calmer activities such as dance or yoga, expertssay parkour is a reasonable, if unorthodox, option.
"When I first heard about this, I had a picture in my mind of elderly people jumping off of walls and Ithought there was no way this could be appropriate," said Bruce Paton, a physical therapist whoworks with the elderly at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at University College London.He is not connected to the program. "But when you look at the things they're doing, it's actuallyquite gentle and could increase their strength and flexibility to help them with their daily activities."
Still, Paton said parkour could potentially be dangerous for people with serious heart problems andwarned anyone with a joint replacement or muscle weakness should be careful.
The parkour instructors said everyone who takes the class fills out a health form and they areparticularly careful to dissuade participants from doing too much; several students have artificialjoints, arthritis or a pacemaker.
"Every single technique in parkour can be changed so that anyone can do it," said Jade Shaw, artisticdirector of Parkour Dance, who teaches the class. The parkour sessions initially began as a pilotproject last year and Shaw is hoping to get more funding to expand it further. For now, the classesare free and held at a Tibetan Buddhist center in South London.
"I think it's very beneficial and I'm hoping we'll soon have a lot more older people bouncing aroundthe parks," she said.
David Terrace, a health and fitness expert for the charity Age U.K., said any efforts to get olderpeople more active should be welcomed. He said adaptations have been made to other sports to helpthe elderly exercise more, such as turning soccer into walking soccer and building customized boatsto accommodate wheelchairs for sailing.
"There's no age limit for exercise, it's just about the individual and what they feel comfortabledoing," he said.
At 85, George Jackson is the oldest participant in the London parkour class.
"I really enjoy it and wish I could do more," said Jackson, an army veteran and former boxer. "I justsometimes forget how old I am and that I can't do certain things."
He said he struggles with a swollen ankle and knee but that the class has helped. "I was limpingaround before and now I can walk straight," Jackson said. "But I still don't plan to jump off ofanything higher than a bench."
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