The course is designed to promote physical fitness training in the style attributed to Georges Hébert.
In general, fitness trails can be natural or man-made, located in areas such as forest, transportation rights-of-way, parks, or urban settings.
Equipment exists to provide specific forms of physiological exercise, and can consist of natural features including climbable rocks, trees, and river embankments, or manufactured products (stepping posts, chin-up and climbing bars) designed to provide similar physical challenges.
The degree of difficulty of a course is determined by terrain slope, trail surface (dirt, grass, gravel, etc.
Urban parcourses tend to be flat, to permit participation by the elderly, and to accommodate cyclists, runners, skaters and walking.