What Is Indoor Rock Climbing?
Rock climbing is one of the biggest trends in physical fitness, and with good reason. Climbing appeals to people of all ages and skill levels – not just to elite athletes with impressive upper body strength – because it’s easy to get started.
Since you don’t need any fancy equipment right away, anyone can show up at a local gym and start climbing. Indoor rock climbing is excellent for both beginners looking for a safe place to get started and for seasoned climbers who want to challenge themselves.
The best part is that you won’t be going it alone. Climbers
are a supportive tribe, encouraging one another to reach their goals and tackle the next challenge. Whether you’re a beginner or a climbing veteran, you’ll find a community of new friends that will scale the wall beside you as you pursue your fitness goals.
Here are 9 amazing health benefits you can expect, starting
with your very first climb.
Physical Benefits: Why Climbing Gives You The Best
Work-out of Your Life
Work Out Your Whole Body
Climbing a wall will work every muscle group in your body, and it’s also a fabulous cardiovascular workout. Climbers burn calories at a rate equivalent to high-intensity activities like spinning and resistance workouts. But unlike some other cardiovascular exercises, climbing integrates aerobic exercise with muscle building. That means you get a full-body workout every time you climb.
Build Strength
Not surprisingly, it takes strength to climb straight up a vertical wall. But don’t worry if you’re not already a weight lifter with ripped biceps and shoulders. You’ll be working all of your muscle groups simultaneously, and each day you climb you’ll grow stronger.
Improve Balance and Coordination
In addition to the benefits for your heart and muscles, climbing will also improve motor skills, balance and coordination. That’s because successfully navigating the various hand- and footholds on the wall requires meticulous eye-hand-foot coordination, balance, and stamina. Simply put, climbing is a total body exercise that increases power from your head to your toe.
Mental Benefits: How Climbing Feeds Your Brain
Banish Boredom
If you get bored out of your mind jogging around your block (or even worse, pounding it out on the treadmill), you’ll love the mental stimulation and challenge of climbing. Each time you climb, you’ll have to engage in problem-solving (just where are you going to put your foot next?) and mind-body connection. It’s also an ongoing competition with yourself as you aim to improve your performance. Climbing is fun and challenging, and it helps you learn to handle pressure in a supportive, low risk environment.
Reduce Symptoms of Depression
The mental aspects of climbing, such as decision-making, planning, and focus, reinforce the neural pathways in your brain and can improve overall mental function. Studies show that climbing reduces the symptoms of depression, improves coping skills, and reduces anxiety even more than other kinds of physical activity. Participants feel more in control of their outcomes as they work their way through the challenges of the climb.
Overcome Your Fear of Failure
Everyone fears falling the first few times they tackle a wall, but sometimes it pays to just get it out of the way. Because you are in a safe environment, falling can be a learning experience rather than a catastrophic failure. As you overcome that fear, you’ll be willing to try new strategies, take risks, and challenge yourself.
Social Benefits: Climbing Is Good For Your Social Life
Too
Get Social
If you’re looking for a way to meet people but you’re tired of the bar scene, climbing may be the social opportunity you’ve been looking for. Unlike more competitive sports or gyms, climbing promotes collaboration and conversation. As you tackle new challenges, there will be people climbing alongside you and people willing to help if you get into a jam. Still, if you love a good competition, you’ll find plenty of that at your climbing gym as well. It’s all good-natured, though.
Find Your Tribe
Climbing introduces you to a rich, diverse community of like minded people who will help you achieve your goals and cheer you on when you do. As you watch other people face their fears, overcome challenges, and reach new goals, they’ll be doing the same for you. Climbing veterans say that finding the right people to climb with will make or break the experience, so it’s worth taking some time to get to know the people scaling the wall alongside you.
Have Fun
There’s no question about it. Grabbing a group of friends to go climbing is a lot more fun than going out for drinks. Shared
experiences and common goals are the foundation of long lasting friendships. When you climb, you get the added benefit of supporting each other as you go farther than you thought you could. It’s an empowering experience, and there are always new options to try and new challenges to overcome.
If you’ve never considered indoor rock climbing, think of it as a
personal challenge to try something new. Step outside your comfort zone once, and you’ll find yourself coming back to do it again and again.
