Everyone Can Do It
Rock climbing is unlike other popular sports. You don’t need to be young, old, tall, or short to excel. While a background in gymnastics might help, anyone can become a great rock climber. Some of the world’s strongest climbers are between 13 and 35 years old. Climbing is truly inclusive and enjoyable.
You Can Improve Quickly
Rock climbing lets you easily track your progress. There are many skills to learn and muscles to strengthen, so there’s always room for improvement. This sport is rewarding for beginners and elite climbers alike.
It’s Rewarding
There’s no better feeling than achieving your goals. The harder the goal, the greater the sense of accomplishment. That’s the essence of rock climbing. You find a challenge, study the route, figure out the movements, and climb to the top, savoring the victory. It boosts your confidence and keeps you coming back, leading to fast improvements. The thrill of climbing without falling makes you want to try harder levels, turning it into an addiction to self-improvement. If you’re motivated by challenges, you’ll probably enjoy climbing.
Helps Overcome Fear of Failure
Believe it or not, rock climbing can help you overcome your fear of failure. In a climbing gym, you’ll notice everyone falls—constantly. It’s normal and part of the fun. Once you learn that failure isn’t something to fear but to overcome, you seek harder challenges. This process helps you conquer your fear of failure. So try climbing, overcome your fear, and maybe even talk to that person you’ve always wanted to speak to.
It’s a Full-Body Workout
Rock climbing works every muscle group and is a great cardiovascular workout. Climbers burn calories at a rate similar to high-intensity activities like spinning. Unlike some exercises, climbing combines aerobic exercise with muscle building, giving you a full-body workout every time you climb.
Improves Balance and Coordination
Climbing also improves motor skills, balance, and coordination. Successfully navigating hand- and footholds requires eye-hand-foot coordination, balance, and stamina. You must focus on your breathing and core muscles, essential for balance, while watching where you came from, where you are, and where you’re going. Rock climbing is a total body exercise that boosts power from head to toe.
Banishes Exercise Boredom
If jogging or treadmill workouts bore you, you’ll love the mental stimulation of rock climbing. Climbing is more fun than gym equipment, working both mind and body. It trains you to be creative and think outside the box. It’s an ongoing competition with yourself as you aim to improve. Climbing is fun and challenging, helping you handle pressure in a supportive, low-risk environment.
Socialize
Rock climbing, especially in a gym, is very social. There’s plenty of downtime while resting between climbs, making it easy to meet people. Unlike more competitive sports, climbing promotes collaboration and conversation. As you tackle challenges, others will climb alongside you, and people are willing to help if you get stuck. If you’re looking for a workout partner or diverse friends, hang out at your local climbing gym. You’re bound to meet amazing people.
Positive Mental Benefits
Exercise boosts mood-related hormones like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. A 2015 study in Germany found significant improvement in depression symptoms in those who rock climbed regularly. Climbing teaches you to stay in the present moment. You must be mindful and focused, leaving little room for your mind to wander.
Stimulates the Mind
Rock climbing is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Bouldering routes are called “problems” for a reason. The climb presents a puzzle you solve through body movements and techniques to reach the top. Routes may require fancy footwork, a strong core, or just the courage to reach for a distant hold. There’s often more than one way to complete a route, and people of different heights, sizes, and skills will do it differently. Every route is a unique puzzle!
Feeds Your Craving for Adventure
If you crave adventure or excitement, rock climbing is for you. Whether bouldering in the gym or sport climbing high off the ground, this sport gives you an adrenaline rush. According to Emory University neuroscientist Dr. Michael Davis, sports involving fear or excitement release endorphins, dopamine, and norepinephrine—neurotransmitters more powerful than cocaine, speed, and morphine. Once you taste the excitement, you might be hooked on climbing for life!ongside you and people willing to help if you get into a jam. So, if you’re looking for a workout partner or maybe just a diverse group of friends, go hang out at your local climbing gym. You’re bound to meet some amazing people.
Positive mental benefits
We all know the mental benefits of exercise. It increases mood-related hormones like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. A 2015 study in Germany tested gym climbing’s effect on depression and found a significant improvement in symptoms in those who climbed regularly. Climbing teaches you how to stay in the present moment. “You have to be mindful and focused on the moment. It does not leave much room to let your mind wander on things that may be going on in your life — you have to focus on not falling.”
Stimulates the mind
Climbing is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. Bouldering routes are called “problems” for a reason. The climb presents you with a puzzle that you solve through body movements and different techniques in order to reach the top. The route may require fancy footwork, a strong core, contact strength, or just the ability to go for a hold that seems well out of your reach. There’s often more than one way to do it, and people of different heights, sizes, and skills will end up completing a route totally differently–so one person’s beta (ie, method) might not work for you. Every route is a unique puzzle!
Feeds your craving for adventure
If you’re craving adventure or excitement, then rock climbing is definitely the activity for you. Whether you’re bouldering in the gym just 5 feet off the ground or sport climbing 60 feet off the ground, this sport will definitely give you a rush of adrenaline.
According to Emory University neuroscientist Dr. Michael Davis, sports that involve more fear or excitement cause your body to release more endorphins, dopamine, and norepinephrine — neurotransmitters that are more powerful than cocaine, speed, and morphine. Once you get a taste of the excitement, you might be hooked on climbing for life!