things i like about parkour

03 Mar, 2026

it's playful; doesn't feel like a sport
it's intuitive; children do it naturally
you develop a parkour vision; instead of seeing sidewalks separated by retaining walls, you see a playground. everywhere.
you get to explore new areas of your city, places you'd otherwise not be
makes you excited to be in new cities, to discover new spots
makes you pay attention to your surroundings
you learn how to get to pretty much anywhere you want
you can do it anywhere
you don't need any equipment
you get to be outdoors
it really challenges you mentally, physically, technically
there are times when you know you can do something but are afraid to do so; forces you to push through that fear
everything is possible; often things feel impossible at first, but you unpack them one step at a time until you can do it
so so so many moments and feelings of accomplishment
it's a discipline
it's just cool
improves mobility, strength, body control, balance, agility, and many other things
develops both lower- and upper body
it's like playing a video game; there are infinite amount of moves and variations of moves (also known as 'tech') to unlock and master ʰᵉʳᵉ ᵃʳᵉ ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵒⁿ ᵒⁿᵉˢ
it's a really diverse sport; there are different types of parkour
thus it never gets boring or repetitive, as you can focus on different things
as it's a diverse sport, you can always find something to train even while injured :D
it's a communal sport; everyone teaches everyone
superb community; people are so chill and always encouraging each other
it's a social hobby; you do your own thing and are surrounded by other people doing their own thing which organically builds connections
it's anarchical / countercultural; there are no rules
it has the most progressive and open minded people of any sport I've encountered; lots of vegans, and small things like men wearing nail polish (which conveys a deeper mindset of questioning social norms)
it's a creative sport
it's a wonderful reason to take pictures and shoot films
teaches you to be ok with standing out; people will stare and wonder at you when you do it at public places
teaches self-leadership; it's not really a structured sport
it's a young sport (invented in late 80s!) and really interesting to follow where it develops
makes running to buses easier
you don't measure distances with centimeters or inches; you measure with your own feet (a jump distance could be 8 foots for example)
makes you appreciate actually durable clothes
backflips are cool