Parkour for seniors?

Classes help older Wisconsinites build strength, community — and prevent deadly falls

About a dozen gray-haired adults line the playground fence at Madison’s Warner Park. Standing on narrow wood planks, they balance on the balls of their feet.

“Calves are burning, woo!” someone yells. The class stops to shake out their legs. Participants, most in their 60s or 70s, step back onto the boards and lift their heels off the ground — one of several movements in the class to help build muscle to prevent falls and practice parkour.

Alice Morehouse, 70, hits the playground’s blue, rubber surface. She shifts her weight to her left side and pushes herself up onto her toes. An instructor reminds everyone to flatten their hands — a tip Morehouse already picked up during two years in Parkour for Seniors classes. 

She drops to the ground and confidently springs back up twice more. 

“When I first started, I went home, drank a cup of coffee and took a nap,” Morehouse tells a classmate. “Now I only need the coffee.”

Sitting on a swing, holding two Jenga blocks in the form of a “T,” Morehouse says she has tried other workout classes. But parkour is “way, way more fun,” she adds while pushing off the ground.

She found the class in the Madison School and Community Recreation program guide and signed up in 2024. Instructors design the classes to build fall resiliency and strengthen muscles that support balance.

Wisconsin has the nation’s highest reported death rate from falls among older adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. More than 1,800 older Wisconsinites died from falls in 2024.

It’s not clear why Wisconsin stands out. Without firm evidence, experts point to several possible factors, including how local officials report deaths, graying demographics, and Wisconsin’s culture of alcohol use.

But one thing is certain: Many falls can be prevented.

Wisconsinites are national leaders in fall prevention work. A local nonprofit trains people across the country to provide an evidence-based course, Stepping On, recommended by the CDC. Oshkosh health care providers started a “Mugs-for-Rugs” event to get older adults to trade hazardous throw rugs for free local coffee. Madison area advocates and experts developed a network of balance-enhancing classes, including ballroom dancing and parkour. 

Still, the number of fall-related EMS calls in Wisconsin increased between 2023 and 2024, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Falls made up more than 20% of 911-related ambulance runs in 2024. 

Stepping On is offered in 43 Wisconsin counties, including Dane. Madison residents can also access a wide range of additional classes. Still, falls remain a leading cause of injury deaths in the county. 

To change those numbers, advocates say they need to reach more older adults. But that costs money. Attempts to dedicate state dollars toward fall prevention failed in the Legislature. 

Parkour for Seniors grew popular enough this year to add a Thursday morning class. Morehouse has gained confidence since joining. 

“I’m no longer afraid to fall because I know I’m going to do it, and I know how,” she says. “And I’m much, much stronger.” 

Her favorite part of the class is watching participants have fun. 

She stands in a circle with the others, stretching. 

“Have we talked about grapefruit in our armpits yet?” asks Shelby Copeland, a parkour instructor and former American Ninja Warrior contestant. 

The group looks confused before Copeland explains the warmup. She tells everyone in the circle to pretend they placed two grapefruits inside their armpits. “See if you can juice them using just your shoulders,” she instructs the group.

“What do we do with the juice?” someone asks. 

“Citrus deodorant!” another attendee jokes.

‘Every senior should take this class’ 

“How’s everybody doing with their exercises?” facilitator Marcy DeGreef asks the Stepping On participants.

“I’m thinking about it,” 89-year-old Gary Geller responds after a brief pause. 

“We work together on that,” adds Jim Jenkins, 79.

The small group of older adults laughs before reviewing exercises that reduce fall risk. Heel-toe walks help with balance. Knee lifts build strength. They can easily do these at home. TV commercial breaks are long enough to finish several sit-to-stands, someone says. Another attendee says she practices side steps while waiting for hot cocoa to heat in the microwave. 

It’s the last of seven weekly classes. They’ll return to the Jewish Social Services building in three months to check in. Before they leave, DeGreef runs through some of what they learned: Vitamin D supplements can help with bone health; trained professionals should install grab bars in the bathroom; they should clean shower mats regularly so they don’t lose their stick; proper footwear is a must. The attendees should talk with their doctors and pharmacists about how their medications affect balance. They should also consider regular bone density screenings and get their vision checked.

“We just had our eye exam,” Geller says. “They went from 20/20 in my right eye to 20/40 to 20/25.”

“He’s getting better instead of worser,” his wife Denny quipped. 

As the review wraps up, Geller offers an endorsement: “Every senior should take this class.”

Stepping On reduces falls by more than 30%, says Jill Renken, executive director of the nonprofit Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging, which licenses the program and helps distribute its curriculum nationwide. 

But expanding the class and other prevention efforts in Wisconsin requires more funding to train instructors and run awareness campaigns that reach more participants, Renken says.

Earlier this year, Rep. Patrick Snyder, R-Weston, and Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, introduced bills to set aside money for the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging and community emergency medical initiatives. 

The Assembly unanimously approved Snyder’s proposals in February, but they stalled in the Senate — failing to reach Gov. Tony Evers’ desk before lawmakers wrapped up work for the year. 

Snyder says the proposals died due to Senate Republicans’ concerns about funding, including $600,000 for community EMS and $400,000 for fall prevention across the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years. Neither James nor Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, responded to questions from Wisconsin Watch about the failure of the bills.

Snyder plans to bring the proposal back next session, which starts in 2027. That’s if he’s reelected later this year. 

“I’m hoping that next session we can actually get a substantial amount of money for fall prevention,” he says.

An antidote to loneliness

For Jim Jenkins, the class has already prevented a fall.

The day before the final class, he noticed a raised edge in the floor while leaving a restaurant. Paying close attention to his surroundings, he climbed over it.

“Six weeks ago, I probably would have just blundered through there and on down,” he says.

The classes have helped him avoid injury and loneliness, Jenkins says. His wife died more than a year ago, and he now lives alone. Stepping On gave him a social outlet, he says. He plans to take as many classes as he can.

“I wish I was going to be seeing everybody every week,” Jenkins says as the class wrapped up its final spring meeting. 

He and others exchanged emails to plan extra outings. 

Where to find fall resources?

• The nonprofit Safe Communities works to reduce injury-related deaths, like falls, in Dane County and keeps a list of fall prevention resources on its website and hosts community events focused on fall prevention. 

• The Madison School and Community Recreation program guide lists classes — like Parkour for Seniors —- that help people build fall resiliency. People can register online or get assistance by calling 608-204-3000. 

• Safe at Home offers home assessments to help older adults prevent falls and accidents. 

• Fallsfreewi.org lists schedules and locations for Stepping On across the state.