Vita Parcours started in Switzerland in the late 1960s. These usually consist of exercise stations along a path or trail.
The first parcourse came into existence when a men’s gymnastics team in the commune of Wollishofen decided a great way to train and get some fresh air at the same time was by heading to a nearby wood and running and jumping over natural obstacles such as tree stumps.
In Toronto, one can be found in the Scarborough park, Cedar Brook Park.
The idea was well received, and a sponsor was found: the insurance company VITA (now Zurich Financial Services Group) which gave the unique trails their name, Vita Parcours, which they are still known by in Switzerland.
“The insurance company VITA showed an interest from the very beginning to develop a series of trails of this kind and not only for the gym club of Wollishofen,” Josef Bächler, head of the Vita Parcours foundation, told swissinfo.ch.
The Vita Parcours in Cedar Brook is in disrepair and really needs some work. However, next time you’re visiting the city’s east end, drop by and run the course. This just might be the type of exercise you need to reach your 2016 health goals.