COVID-19 Parkour and Outdoor Exercise

PREFACE

Under the current coronavirus climate, we have had many athletes ask, “how can I continue to practice parkour safely?” Your personal health should be prioritized over training outdoors unless that outdoor exercise will improve your wellbeing. Only you can weigh the risks of increasing potential exposure for boosting your mood, getting fresh air, and relieving both physical and mental tension. If you are deciding to exercise outdoors or practice parkour during the coronavirus, this quick guide is for you.

As of April 28th, our current research is heavily influenced by the recommendations of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our local NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). Specifically the CDC’s “Visiting Parks and Recreational Facilities” in which we expand more on how individuals exercising outdoors or practicing parkour beyond their home can do so safely. Be sure to check your local and national services for updated orders.

2020-05-08 – Quick Update | Preliminary data reports low transmission rate outdoors. Published preprint has not been peer-reviewed. DHS initial lab results are seeing that the virus does not survive well under sunlight, high temperatures, and humidity.

Take Precaution

You’ve heard of social distancing and the stay-at-home orders plenty of times by now – it’s certainly blasted every day. However as different areas of the country begin to open up and citizens begin to get outdoors, there are a couple of things to consider.

Avoid visiting outdoor parks and recreational facilities if you are currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or were recently exposed. We all have a social obligation to ensure we curb the spread of coronavirus by staying at home. People who could have been exposed to the virus are asked to stay home for 14 days for a self-quarantine.

Do not use playgrounds or popular shared spaces to avoid touching any exposed surfaces. Current studies have demonstrated that coronavirus can survive on hard surfaces and objects for up to 72 hours. Those frequently touched surfaces such as monkey bars, slides, handrails, or water fountains are a big risk. If it happens, stay calm and immediately wash your hands.

Only Visit Local Areas

Some states have issued shelter-in-place orders that urge citizens to stay indoors unless it’s absolutely “essential.” You can help to reduce your and others’ exposure to COVID-19 by training locally. Traveling further typically requires you to make more stops along the way.

Exercise your creativity. Your regular outdoor hotspots and densely-packed gyms may be in-accessible however we can still use the short wall down the street to drill basics, learn a new movement, or get a great workout at.

Search for low-frequented areas with low-touch zones in highly populated and urban-dense areas that have local training sites nearby such as parks, schools, universities, or businesses. Often they’re squeezed between walkways, out-of-sight, and hard-to-reach while still offering a great space to escape for outdoor exercise.

Train in the great outdoors which share plenty of natural elements such as downed trees, large boulders, etc. Get in touch with your wild side with barefoot practices, exploring organic textures, and reduce your stress with nature.

Use Google Maps, turn on the satellite-function, and scroll around. We have found some seriously-great-spots that are out-of-sight from our everyday commutes or navigation. Google’s street view can be a gem as well.

Plan Before Exercising Outdoors

Prepare your outdoor exercise kits and check local information before deciding on whether or not to venture out to training spaces.

Put together your Outdoor Exercise Kit (OEK) – a collection of items that you carry with you for any outdoor training and activities. Sometimes in pockets or in a bag much like your everyday carry essentials. They’re the items that enhance your training and make you feel right – items are often valuable for its utility or for potential safety. Your OEK will need hand sanitizer, face masks, and gloves.

Check for recent updates on local orders to see if certain areas are operating normally. The United States National Park Service decides park-by-park whereas those local here in North Carolina can check the North Carolina State Parks website for updates. The local city’s Park and Recreation departments have websites to take a quick look at as well.

Stage your transitions between training equipment, movement spaces, and modes-of-travel / vehicles. Make sure to have a clean barrier between your body and high-touch zones. These things include doorknobs, handles, handrails, buttons, counters, switches, etc. You may need to keep extras in your OEK in case you lose a mask or if the gloves get dirty while out training.

Maintain Physical Distancing

Limiting our in-person or face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce any spread of the COVID-19 disease. Your coronavirus outdoor training should practice physical distancing that keeps you at a minimum of 6 feet from other people. The more space, the better when you’re considering your proximity of training in relation to others.

Think about others’ movements and how they will move in, around, or through spaces – are you in on a sidewalk that sees lots of foot traffic, nearby a bus stop that lets people off, or in a corridor that connects between two highly frequented areas?

Only train with individuals you’ve been isolated with during the current stay-at-home orders. Seriously control the temptation to catch the friend or two that say they haven’t seen anyone else. 

Avoid others to the best of your ability. An easy tool is to low-frequented, private area that gives you high visibility around you. Have your mask and barriers ready and be prepared to ask for and make space between you and others.