Fitness
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

How Do I Choose the Best Free Running Lessons?

Tara Barnett
Tara Barnett

The best free running lessons are often available as lessons in acrobatics or gymnastics, and sometimes under the label parkour. The definition of free running is often muddled with that of parkour, and although these two practices are different, they are often used interchangeably. Choosing the best free running lessons may require taking the initiative to combine lessons from other sports into free running. Free running is often a group activity among enthusiasts, and some of the best lessons come from simply being involved in the community.

Free running is a practice that involves following one's own interests rather than performing a routine. This means that while it is important to learn the component moves safely as well as build strength over time, the end result is often up to the individual. Moves that are popular in parkour, such as flips and vaults, are often used in free running as well. Learning these moves is often a matter of practice, and many people find that individual lessons are helpful when stuck on particular moves. Most people do not take free running lessons that follow a particular syllabus, but rather progress at their own rate within the structure of the class.

Without proper training and preparation, free running can result in injury.
Without proper training and preparation, free running can result in injury.

For many people, the best free running lessons take the form of safety instruction provided in a parkour gym. This allows individuals to practice without the danger of injury on concrete. Learning the moves themselves can involve an instructor, but mostly involves practice. The most important part of learning the moves is taking into account how to perform them safely, and having an instructor can be very valuable for this.

With practice, a more advanced parkour vault will feel natural to the athlete, and improvisations can be made.
With practice, a more advanced parkour vault will feel natural to the athlete, and improvisations can be made.

In many cases, free running lessons need not be under the label of free running. For example, lessons in acrobatics can be extremely helpful when conquering unique obstacles in urban environments. A person interested in this sport might find that he or she is aided in particular by gymnastics lessons that focus on the form of the movements, because control is important in this sport. Additionally, while aesthetic constraints may be different between free running and gymnastics, both sports do place emphasis on how a move looks over what it accomplishes.

Parkour can include climbing and jumping.
Parkour can include climbing and jumping.

When looking for free running lessons, it is a good idea to look at reviews for the lessons. An experienced teacher will likely have many positive reviews. The facilities provided by the teacher are also important, and when possible it is a good idea to choose a teacher who has access to a free running gym. These gyms are often safer places to learn than outdoor facilities.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Without proper training and preparation, free running can result in injury.
      By: Dirima
      Without proper training and preparation, free running can result in injury.
    • With practice, a more advanced parkour vault will feel natural to the athlete, and improvisations can be made.
      By: Mario Webhofer
      With practice, a more advanced parkour vault will feel natural to the athlete, and improvisations can be made.
    • Parkour can include climbing and jumping.
      By: willmetts
      Parkour can include climbing and jumping.