My workout: Shirley Darlington-Rowat, parkour – ‘It forces you to focus on the moment’

Eight years ago, I assumed I’d never be able to do parkour. I wasn’t that fit and I tried it out with a friend, never expecting to engage with it. But I did. It’s simply about moving your body from one place to another, under and over obstacles, running, jumping and climbing.

It quickly changed the way I viewed my environment: everything around me became a potential parkour challenge. Council estates usually make the best locations but anywhere, with benches, walls, rails and bollards is good. When I started, my balance was poor, so three times a week before work I would walk across a pair of railings. Doing that really helped.

I was going through a difficult time and struggling to find motivation and inspiration. The appeal was seeing how quickly I was able to do things, like scaling a wall. I remember thinking, “I can’t do that”, but the coaches are good at breaking down the technique (“Focus on your foot placement, put your hands on the wall, push off and chest over”) so you don’t think about the end result.

The longer I trained, the stronger and more accurate I became, and more in tune with my physical capabilities. You develop parkour vision. A big component of parkour, which gives you the confidence to jump higher and farther, is the ability to be accurate. If I’m climbing a drainpipe or the side of a building and it’s quite high, I’ll see how I feel, check in with myself, take it step by step.

I teach parkour now, and what I still love most is that it forces you to focus on the moment. You can’t think about what you’re having for dinner or what you’ll be doing tomorrow.

My family love it, too (my mum is 56 and my son is 10) and it is one thing we all enjoy together. The joy is you don’t need equipment or trainers; you can do it barefoot. It’s just you and your environment, and it doesn’t cost a thing.

My weekend workout

Favourite course? A local estate with lots of benches, bollards and walls

Favourite snack? A protein snack with a piece of fruit

How do you warm up? Mobility drills like crawling, to quickly raise your heart rate

Five ways to get started

1 Let go of everything you thought you knew about parkour. It’s not as scary as you think. Many people assume you need to be an athlete or fit when you start, but strength is built through doing it.

2 Find your local Adapt (Art du Déplacement and Parkour Teaching) qualified coach and class so you can learn the basics – and keep learning at a progressive and safe rate.

3 Wear something comfortable. Freedom of movement is key: tracksuit bottoms, leggings, shorts and running shoes.

4 She Can Trace aims to boost the number of women in parkour and encourage more women to train as instructors.

5 Take it step by step. Everyone can jump, but not everyone can land – these are mechanics that have to be practised. What separates a good practitioner from a poor practitioner is the quality of their movement – the aim is to move with control and accuracy.

• For more details go to parkourgenerations.com

The essential kit

1 Backpack, £85
2 Onitsuka Tiger Shaw Runners, £31.49
3 Breaking The Jump: The Secret Story Of Parkour’s High-Flying Rebellion, £11.89

• Do you have a passion for exercise? Send your story to [email protected]

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