News
We embarked on an adventurous day at CFC Concrete Foundation in June, and what a remarkable experience it was. The new terrain presented us with exhilarating challenges, and it was truly intriguing to apply the skills we've been honing at the Academy to this fresh environment and different equipment.
Each one of us walked away having learned something new, taking on novel challenges guided by the expert coaches at CFC.
Our day at CFC not only enabled us to adapt what we've learned but also allowed us to translate it into action within our Academy environment.
The value of this exchange day extended far beyond its duration, resonating with us even after the event had concluded. This immersive experience reinforced the significance of cross-learning and showcased the practical impact of knowledge sharing.
The American International School of Johannesburg has enthusiastically become a member of our Academy. They have now incorporated Parkour into their curriculum as one of the school's diverse extracurricular activities.
The days on which classes are held and class groups will remain unchanged, with the only adjustment being a 30-minute later shift from the current scheduled time for all classes.
Classes will be combined during the October and December holidays, ensuring that there is enough classes available for everyone. We encourage students to book as many classes as possible to catch up on any missed classes on top of the weekly classes for the month.
December and January will be considered full billable months and will be billed accordingly. 2023 catch-up classes will remain available until the end of January 2024, at which point they will expire.
Billing
September billing will be done from the 23rd for a four-week month.
We wholeheartedly embrace these fundamental principles upon which our parkour academy is built.
This is mandatory for all coaches and personnel operating within this parkour academy serving as a catalyst for their personal development and growth of leadership capacity.
We proudly impart this value to our students by encouraging them to apply these principles in their personal lives as well, so that they not only acquire skills but also develop strong character traits that will help them become successful, responsible adults.
Benefits of Parkour
There are many benefits and invaluable skills that we encourage during each and every class, which form part of our dedicated curriculum and foundation.
While we always focus on highlighting all the benefits of Parkour, we take the opportunity each month to delve deeper into a specific advantage, providing additional comprehensive information about it.
Over the past few months, we have expanded on the mental benefits of Parkour and how they are categorized.
This month, we'll provide you with further insights into the next benefit on our chart.
Parkour encourages participants to be creative as well as to think critically about their ever-changing environment. Students grow in their understanding of what they can and cannot do at any given point of their training as well as find different ways they are capable of to overcome. This also teaches students the ability to find parkour value or as we call it "Parkour Vision" in everyday environments and objects. Any public space, school ground, park or parking lot becomes a potential parkour spot. This new vision makes its way outside of the usual gym parkour sessions as students have reported an increase in activity outside of the gym with their newly expanded sense of self and creativity.
University of Nevada, Reno
How Physical Activity Improves Brain and Cognitive Functions
We know that physical activity has great health benefits for our children. But did you know that children who are more physically active have better academic performance, memory, and attention?
It’s true! They are more focused, stay on task, have better recall and short term memory (1). However, being physically active means more than just “running around” and “playing outside.” Yes, running, jumping and swimming often called cardio-respiratory activities or "cardio" are important for the heart. However, activities that focus on perceptual motor development and fundamental movement skills are also important. While, both cardio and motor skill activities improve overall brain function, they activate children's brains differently so we need each of these to plan and make decisions from simple to most complex (2). Physical activity can affect how we learn, remember, problem-solve, and pay attention (3).
Cardio Physical Activity
Cardio activities that increase the heart rate and breathing such as walking, running, dancing, skipping and jumping, have been shown to increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain and improve brain function. Researchers Hillman et al (2009) found that children with only 20 minutes of walking showed improved brain activity and performance on academic achievement tests and response accuracy (4). Cardio activities increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain and improve brain function.
The Effect of Walking on the Brain The picture below shows stimulation that occurs in the brain with just 20 minutes of walking. This brain stimulation is caused by the enhanced oxygen flow to the brain which in turn re-charged the brain to learn more efficiently. Keep in mind the blue indicates lower brain activity while the red indicates higher brain activity (1). Used with permission, Hillman et al. (2009). Neuroscience, 159, 1044-1054
Motor Skill Physical Activity
Motor skill physical activities are those that involve higher levels of coordination, balance, and reaction time such as balancing on an unstable surface or bouncing a basketball. A study performed by Koutsandreou et al (2016) showed that bouts of these types of activity led to improved concentration and attention tasks than those without specific skills such as simple running (2). They also found these activities helped to enhance working memory, and verbal learning and memory. Another study Budde et al (2008) showed that delivery of actual physical activity lessons (structure activity), such as physical education class, in children ages 5-13 generally resulted in improvements in academic achievement by improving attention and concentration (5).
In order to perform a variety of movements, children need to have opportunities to perform basic fundamental movement skills such as hopping on one foot, spinning around and balancing as well as building perceptual motor skills that help them connect the brain to the body. Remember, young children need to be taught these skills. We can’t rely on them to learn on their own. Young children need opportunities to build skills that connect the body to the brain.
Brain Breaks
After sitting for long periods of time, it is important that children get up and move! Take a short walk, or do some dancing and then freeze when the music stops. These are often called Brain Breaks! They are short bouts of physical activity that help reset the brain and get blood and oxygen flowing more rapidly to the brain and body. Children should never be sedentary for longer than 60 minutes at a time. In fact many researchers suggest doing Brain Brakes after 30 minutes of being sedentary. Brain Breaks can be done with minimal to no equipment or preparation and should be fun and engaging. They should include cardio activities as well as motor skill development such as crossing the midline of the body and challenging the brain to utilize both sides. Examples include Follow the Leader, Red Light Green Light, Count My Moves or Treasure Hunt!
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