It should be clear by now that my chief purpose is to demonstrate abundantly the wide, open, free green space readily available for public recreation. From city parks to outlying preserves and habitats, the availability of public space is vastly greater than the cumulative square footage of ALL the gyms in the world (I fear a world where this isn’t the case), yet the bulk of exercisers predominantly spend their time inside these fitness factories. This is troublesome. Shouldn’t fitness be a pursuit procured by any means necessary?
Of the proagonists for outdoor recreation the consummate instigators are the practitioners of Parkour, or Freerunning- as it is sometimes referred to- whose fitness philosophy embraces an environment as is, and seeks to bring it to life through creative energy flow. Theirs is an omnivorous recreational paradigm where all aspects of fitness (physical, mental, and emotional) are brought to bear in an omnidirectional modality. *Sometimes police enforcement is involved.
Now, one is not required to exhibit fantastic feats of acrobatics and gymnastics (popularized in the Jack-Ass world of YouTube stunts) to practice the precepts of Parkour- these are really the fringe trapezeries of a wholistic and natural movement-based fitness design. All insanity and reckless abandon aside, Parkour allows for broader, reflexive action, so the more expressive and interactive the given space, the more creative one’s movements can become.
For a visual aid I chose a particular abandoned office complex for its simple features and their relative accessibility to a novice Parkour enthusiast. I hope you can gather some ideas for your own Parkour gauntlet.
P.S. I added an alternate ending with a challenging (and risky!) elevated finale.
Grass Is Greener Fitness 