Despite the growing shift towards functional training, health clubs can still learn plenty more from Parkour, according to one of the movement’s pioneers.

During his afternoon session at ukactive’s 2014 Flame Conference in Telford, Sébastien Foucan – who famously showcased his high-octane skills in the opening sequence to James Bond film Casino Royale – espoused the benefits Parkour and related movements like freerunning can offer in promoting physical activity.

Revealing that he has a chronic fear of heights, Foucan likened the battle to overcome physical activity to his struggles conquering his phobia in order to perform the complex sequence of stunts that saw him do battle with Daniel Craig on top of a crane. “We need to help (inactive) people to not be ruled by fear and help them turn obstacles into stepping stones,” he said. “We’re born to walk, climb and jump as a human species and Parkour embraces all of these movements.”

On future collaborations with the health and fitness industry, Foucan noted the influence of Parkour could be seen already in the popularity of functional training, but added the industry “still has much to learn from Parkour,” particularly in developing fluid movements to connect each isolated exercise. Continuing the theme of fluidity, he said society needs “to stop containing things” and embrace the freespirited approach of Parkour to take activity from beyond four walls and into all environments.