With roots in military obstacle course training and martial arts, Parcours includes many forms of movement such as bar and climbing — whatever is suitable for the situation.

Parcours is an activity that can be practiced alone or with others, and is usually carried out in urban spaces, though it can be done anywhere. It involves seeing one's environment in a new way, and envisioning the potential for navigating it by movement around, across, through, over and under its features.

It was popularized in the late 1990s and 2000s through films, documentaries, video games, and advertisements.