Mind Body Benefits of Rock Climbing

Lori Smith
Pager Direct
3 min readJan 20, 2016

--

Whether you are a serious or beginner rock climber, you can reap some serious health benefits by participating in this sport. Not only does rock climbing provide physical benefits, such as building endurance, muscle and flexibility, climbing can be beneficial to both the brain and mental health; rock climbing is known to reduce stress and have positive outcomes on mental strength.

Some forms of climbing include:

Bouldering: This form of climbing is done without the use of ropes, at low heights; typically safety mats are utilized.

Sport Climbing: Climbers who participate in sport climbing will clip into bolts which are placed on the faces of the rock.

Soloing: Solo climbers climb, well, solo. Not only does this include climbing alone, but it also typically excludes the use of rope.

Traditional or “trad” climbing: Trad climbers, will have their own safety gear and climb unmarked routes.

Ice climbing: Ice climbers climb on ice-covered surfaces, such as rock and frozen waterfalls.

Climbing Walls: These stacked panels, offer a vertical and horizontal climb option, which can be installed both indoors and out.

Climbing as a Total Body Workout

Climbing will provide you a total body workout, incorporating the use of several muscle groups simultaneously. During a rock climb, you can expect to engage your abdominals, obliques, deltoids, trapesius muscles, biceps, latissimus dorsi , quadriceps, calves and even your fingers. Additionally, rock climbing provides a cardiovascular workout, increasing the body’s heart rate, with a similar calorie burn of running an 8–11 minute mile. In fact, one study showed that in children, rock climbing elicited similar energy expenditure as other cardiovascular activities such as stair climbing, sports activities and jogging.

Due to the overall cardiovascular workout associated with rock climbing, the benefits extend further than muscle tone. Other health benefits include the risk reduction of certain chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. Those with the developmental coordination disorder, dyspraxia, may also benefit from the muscle development benefits of climbing, specifically in the upper limbs.

Mental Health and Wellness Benefits of Rock Climbing

Due to the complexity of rock climbing, skills such as problem-solving, hand-eye coordination and judgement are developed and enhanced during participation in the sport. Climbing may also provide participants the ability to conquer fears, build confidence, self-esteem and self-reliance, all while developing social connections. Stress levels can also be reduced due to the release of norepinephrine and exposure to higher levels of Vitamin D (during outdoor excursions). Because of the physical nature of rock climbing, symptoms of depression may also be improved.

Safety of Rock Climbing

Participation in any sport poses certain risks. Rock climbing has been associated with fractures, sprains and strains.

As with any diet or exercise program, speak with your healthcare provider to determine what plan is best for you; consider working with a qualified certified trainer. If you live in New York City or San Francisco or are just visiting, skip the waiting room and contact Pager to arrange an in home appointment with a board certified physician for a routine physical clearing you for an exercise program or to evaluate and treat workout-related injuries.

References:

  1. Health Benefits of Rock Climbing. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/rock-climbing-health-benefits.aspx Accessed January 19, 2016
  2. Emergence of the Indoor Climbing Wall. http://www.evolveplay.net/emergence-of-the-indoor-climbing-wall/ Accessed January 19, 2016
  3. Top 10 Health Benefits of Rock Climbing. http://www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/top-10-health-benefits-rock-climbing/ Accessed January 19, 2016
  4. Watts PB, Ostrowski ML. Oxygen uptake and energy expenditure for children during rock climbing activity. Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2014 Feb;26(1):49–55.
  5. Nelson NG, McKenzie LB. Rock climbing injuries treated in emergency departments in the U.S., 1990–2007. Am J Prev Med. 2009 Sep;37(3):195–200

Photo: Shutterstock (standard license usage)

--

--

Lori Smith
Pager Direct

Lori Smith is an accomplished freelance health and wellness writer. See more at www.lorismithcontentsolutions.com