Fitness trail
Encyclopedia
A fitness trail consists of a path
or course
equipped with obstacle
s or stations distributed along its length for exercising the human body
to promote good health
. The course is designed to promote physical fitness
training in the style attributed to Georges Hébert. In general, fitness trails can be natural or man made, located in areas such as forest, transportation rights-of-way, parks, or urban settings. Equipment exists to provide specific forms of physiological exercise, and can consist of natural features including climbable rocks, trees, and river embankments, or manufactured products (stepping posts, chin-up and climbing bars) designed to provide similar physical challenges. The degree of difficulty of a course is determined by terrain slope, trail surface (dirt, grass, gravel, etc.), obstacle height (walls) or length (crawls) and other features. Urban parcourses tend to be flat, to permit participation by the elderly, and to accommodate cyclists, runners, skaters and walking. The new concept of an outdoor gym
, containing traditional gym equipment specifically designed for outdoor use, is also considered to be a development of the parcourse. These outdoor exercise gyms include moving parts and often made from galvanised metal.
Courses built in ensuing years included:
Peninsula
East Bay
Path
Path, pathway or PATH may refer to:-Path:* Course , the intended path of a vehicle over the surface of the Earth* Trail, hiking trail, footpath, or bridle path...
or course
Course
Course can refer to:* Course , the path of travel* Course , the principal sail on a mast of a sailing vessel* Course , in the United States, a unit of instruction in one subject, lasting one academic term...
equipped with obstacle
Obstacle
An obstacle is an object, thing, action or situation that causes an obstruction. There are, therefore, different types of obstacles, which can be physical, economic, biopsychosocial, cultural, political, technological or even military.-Physical barriers:As physical obstacles, we can enumerate all...
s or stations distributed along its length for exercising the human body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
to promote good health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
. The course is designed to promote physical fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
training in the style attributed to Georges Hébert. In general, fitness trails can be natural or man made, located in areas such as forest, transportation rights-of-way, parks, or urban settings. Equipment exists to provide specific forms of physiological exercise, and can consist of natural features including climbable rocks, trees, and river embankments, or manufactured products (stepping posts, chin-up and climbing bars) designed to provide similar physical challenges. The degree of difficulty of a course is determined by terrain slope, trail surface (dirt, grass, gravel, etc.), obstacle height (walls) or length (crawls) and other features. Urban parcourses tend to be flat, to permit participation by the elderly, and to accommodate cyclists, runners, skaters and walking. The new concept of an outdoor gym
Outdoor gym
The outdoor gym is a gym built outside in a public park, with the all-weather construction of its exercise machines somewhat modeled on playground equipment. It is similar to the 1960s-70s proliferation of fitness trails, which continue to be created particularly in the USA and Europe...
, containing traditional gym equipment specifically designed for outdoor use, is also considered to be a development of the parcourse. These outdoor exercise gyms include moving parts and often made from galvanised metal.
History
The original parcourse was invented in 1968 by Swiss architect Erwin Weckemann with support from Swiss life insurance firm Vita. The first course was built in Zurich, Switzerland. Hundreds of courses were built in Europe by 1972.Courses built in ensuing years included:
- [US] 1976 "Parcour" exercise trail in County Farm Park in Ann Arbor, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
- [US] 1977 Bruce Jenner Trail in the Lake County, IllinoisLake County, IllinoisLake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
Forest Preserve District. - [US] El Estero Exercise Course at Lake El EsteroLake El EsteroLake El Estero is part of the building blocks of Monterey, California and has been classified as a citywide park. Originally a salt-water lagoon, its outlets to the bay were cut off because of over flooding. The park has become an estuary to many migrating birds and ongoing improvements have been...
, Monterey, CaliforniaMonterey, CaliforniaThe City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of... - [HK] 1977 Lion Rock Country Park, New TerritoriesNew TerritoriesNew Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
, Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, featuring 15 exercise stations.
United Kingdom
Over 250 installations are found across the UK, all installed by fresh-air fitness. A Google map shows their locations Click hereCanada
- Sunnybrook ParkSunnybrook ParkSunnybrook Park is a large public park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located north of Leaside and south of the Bridle Path areas of the city.-Cricket:Sunnybrook hosted a first-class cricket fixture in 2004...
in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
has a Vita Parcours Exercise Trail, along with sports facilities.
Luxembourg
- Among pedestrian trails there is a fitness trail (PDF map) in the village of SteinfortSteinfortSteinfort is a commune and town in western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Capellen, which is part of the district of Luxembourg., the town of Steinfort, which lies in the north of the commune, has a population of 2,184. Other towns within the commune include Hagen and Kleinbettingen....
.
New Zealand
- Queens Park Fitness Trail, City of InvercargillInvercargillInvercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
, New Zealand. - Blockhouse Bay Recreation Reserve, City of AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
New Zealand.
San Francisco Bay Area
Peninsula
- The first parcourse trail built in the USA still exists in the Mountain Lake ParkMountain Lake ParkMountain Lake Park is a San Francisco park in the Richmond District neighborhood, located north of the intersection of Lake and Funston. It was designed by engineer William Hammond Hall in the late 19th century, circa 1875. Hall also designed Golden Gate Park and was significantly influenced by...
of San Francisco's PresidioPresidioA presidio is a fortified base established by the Spanish in North America between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The fortresses were built to protect against pirates, hostile native Americans and enemy colonists. Other presidios were held by Spain in the sixteenth and seventeenth...
. - The Perrier parcourse is at the site of the former Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California, US. This course is open for public use.
- There is a parcourse that borders the Marina Green in San Francisco.
- Along the edge of the San Francisco Bay is a dirt trail parcourse at the San Leandro Marina, San Leandro, California, US.
- An asphalt paved parcourse trail begins at the 5.9 mi. mark of the Bay Trail, around the perimeter of the Oracle CorporationOracle CorporationOracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
office complex in Redwood Shores, California, US. Although the parcourse is on Oracle property, it is open to public use. There is another parcourse on the opposite (south) side of Marina Parkway, but it has fallen into disrepair. - A parcourse is located along Marina Parkway beginning near the intersection of Bridge Parkway and Cork Harbor Circle and ending near the intersection of Bridge Parkway and Portwalk Place in Redwood Shores.
- A parcourse is located around Spring lake in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County CA adjacent to Howarth Park.
East Bay
- There is a dirt trail parcourse projecting into the Bay in Marina Park in San Leandro.
- There are two parallel parcouses on the campus of Chabot CollegeChabot CollegeChabot College is a community college located in Hayward, California.-Campus:The campus has a 200-seat theatre, a 1,432-seat performing arts center, a full-size planetarium, four major athletic fields, an HD television studio, and an Olympic-class swimming pool.-History:Chabot College was the first...
in HaywardHaywardHayward was originally Hayward , an officer of a township in charge of fences and enclosures. It may also refer to:-People with surname Hayward:*Abraham Hayward , English writer and essayist*Adam Hayward, American football player...
. - Section Two of the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail is an asphalt paved parcourse in Moraga, California, US.
- A dirt parcourse trail surrounds Bishop Ranch 7 office complex in San RamonSan RamónSan Ramón may refer to:*San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina*San Ramón, Bolivia*San Ramón, Costa Rica*San Ramón Canton, Alajuela, Costa Rica*San Ramón, Chile*San Ramón, Cuscatlán, El Salvador*San Ramón, Choluteca, Honduras....
, California, US. Although the parcourse is on private property, it is open to public use. - Under the BART right-of-way along Masonic Ave., in AlbanyAlbany, CaliforniaAlbany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community...
.http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:w3ZHUeUXbp8J:www.albanyca.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx%3Fdocumentid%3D2768+albany,+ca+par+course&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgQ7o8xIkJ0n8ePpEFXr2V02gKLJMXM5rHm-igGZVB60Yw1tDjwe7u9HH-FNDrsqHRvBQs8iOOKnLvkXMsCZZZ89MY8Utr7-aBqN2r1BJDOaODl6iLjlkh-K9ZuL8KxqAbEztdj&sig=AHIEtbQ1WIJPithZcjD2ZZr9lz34LEOxfg
Los Angeles Area
- A paved parcourse trail is available at Rynerson Park in Lakewood on Studabaker Road parallel to the San Gabriel River Bike Trail. This parcourse has 6 stations along a 1 mile loop.
- Johnny Carson Park located in Burbank features a parcourse circuit with a dozen stations along a dirt path loop. It also includes a warm-up area with equipment designed to facilitate stretching.
Ohio
- In Hamilton County, OH, Embshoff Woods, Miami Whitewater Forest, Sharon Woods, Triple Creek, Winton Woods, and Woodland Mound county parks have Parcourse Trails. http://www.hamiltoncountyparks.org/rec_trails/trails.shtm
Pennsylvania
- In Frick ParkFrick ParkFrick Park is the largest municipal park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, covering .The park began when Henry Clay Frick, upon his death in 1919, bequeathed south of Clayton, his Point Breeze mansion . He also arranged for a $2 million trust fund for long-term maintenance for the park, which opened on...
, Pittsburgh, there's a paved parcourse trail starting at the intersection of Beechwood Boulevard and Nicholson Street with 18 stations. The signs along the trail date from 1975.
Maryland
- Prince George County Parks and Recreation Chernikoff Fitness Trail, MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, US. - Downs Park http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/launch/downs.cfm in PasadenaPasadena, MarylandPasadena is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,093 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pasadena is located at ....
, Anne Arundel County
Michigan
- Washtenaw County, Ypsilanti, MI North Bay Park
Texas
- In AustinAustinAustin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, the Shoal Creek Trail features a three-station parcourse near its intersection with 30th St, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, US. - In Sugar Land, A parcourse is located adjacent to Highlands Elementary School at the intersection of Williams Trace Boulevard and Edgewater Drive, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA. - In Missouri CityMissouri CityMissouri City may refer to:*Missouri City, Missouri*Missouri City, Texas...
, A more compact course is located behind the LA Fitness at 5402 Texas 6, on Cross Lakes Boulevard.
Washington
- Maintained list of Parcours Fitness Trails in the Puget SoundPuget SoundPuget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
area, Washington State, US.