In a corner of suburban Singapore, Betty Boon vaults a guardrail, crawls underneath a slide, executes forward shoulder rolls and scales a steep slope, finishing the course to applause.

"Good job!" Exclaims the 69-year-old's coach.

This is "geriatric parkour", where around 20 retirees are learning to tackle a series of relatively demanding exercises, building their agility while enjoying a sense of camaraderie.

Boon, an upbeat grandmother, said that learning parkour has boosted her confidence and independence as she ages.

"When you're weak, you will be dependent on someone," she told reporters after sweating it out with her parkour classmates in suburban Toa Payoh, in the shadow of government-built apartment blocks.

"I feel more alive, it's a whole new world."

The discipline has gained a devoted following of senior citizens in the city-state, which is among the world's fastest-aging countries.

Singapore is projected to become a "super-aged" nation this year, meaning the proportion of residents aged 65 and above exceeds 21 percent.

By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above, according to the health ministry.

As the society grays, various activities and industries have mushroomed to cater to seniors' needs, including social activities and group exercise classes.

Coach Tan Shie Boon, 33, said he was initially met with skepticism when he started offering parkour classes for older students in 2017, especially due to the risk of injury.

But his main idea was to share maneuvers that could help seniors with their balance, stamina and coordination.

"It's meaningful, I can see the impact of my work," he said.

Not just for youngsters

Parkour, a discipline that originated in France, focuses on overcoming physical obstacles like walls, gaps and platforms without any aid.

Often called the "art of displacement", it involves running, jumping, climbing, rolling and vaulting to quickly dart from one point to another.

The activity has a young, athletic following, but coach Tan and his students insist it can be suitable for every age.

"When people hear the word parkour, they think it's only for youngsters who can jump from rooftops," said retired banker and parkour enthusiast Irene Chuah."We don't do that. We jump over benches," the 67-year-old explained.

Tan, who specializes in coaching senior citizens in his classes across Singapore, tailors all the stunts to match the capabilities of his students, who range in age between 50 and 83.

"The whole point of parkour is to improve your agility ... you'll be faster in your reactions," he said.

"When seniors fall, they get severely injured because they have a lack of coordination, balance and agility. They're not fast enough to react in time," he added.

Chuah experienced firsthand how the moves she learned in parkour class can apply in the real world.

When a trolley she was pushing at a supermarket hit an obstacle, it overturned and pulled her over.

But thanks to her training, she managed to jump over the mess, remain on her feet and escape unharmed.

"Nobody helped me because the people thought I was young,"Chuah said with a laugh.

Retired kindergarten teacher Ling Ying Ying, 66, said doing parkour had helped her to be able to mop the floor "like we used to do when we were young".

Daring to do more

At the fitness space in Toa Payoh, the parkour students also practiced traversing a downward incline and scaling a low wall during the 90-minute session.

A couple of students jumped over a gap after some encouragement from their classmates.

Life after retirement used to be "quite dull", Chuah said.

"After parkour, I can go line dancing, and I can remember the steps.

"You dare to do a lot of things that you think only young people can do," she added.

Her classmate Boon said that, one time, she brought her grandchildren to a neighborhood playground and taught them to jump onto a platform and do forward rolls.

When she looked back, she saw a line of other children wanting to try the moves.

"Since then, I became like the favorite grandmother," she said.

"The children recognize me even when I'm far away."

AFP