You don’t need to be a professional rock climber to enjoy all the benefits of this extraordinary outdoor activity. Rock climbing adventures are something that anyone can enjoy if they’ve had some training. If you’ve got a local climbing gym nearby, there’s no time like the present to get started.

If you’ve never considered rock climbing as a sport for you, let’s take a quick look at some of the benefits. Not only will it be a workout for your body. Your mind and soul will also benefit in many ways. Let’s have a closer look at the many benefits of rock climbing…

Photo, Patrick Hendry.

The Benefits of Rock Climbing

If you’re naturally energetic and on the lookout for something more challenging, rock climbing might be what you need. It can help you control your weight, develop your physique, stimulate your brain and make it work in new ways.

Rock climbing is essentially an outdoor activity that requires physical strength, dedication, persistence, and a love of the sport. Several physical factors are involved, such as lower body strength, lean muscle mass, and footwork.

When you’re rock climbing outside with natural rocks and in a soothing environment, it can also be an excellent workout for your soul.

Photo, Yns Plt.

Physical Benefits

The physical benefits of rock climbing are more evident than the emotional ones, but that’s doesn’t mean they’re more or less important. All parts of your body get a good workout, and in just one hour, you could burn around seven hundred calories. Not only that, your endurance and flexibility are improved.

Strong Arms and Shoulders

Your arms play a crucial role when you’re rock climbing. You use them to move forward and hold your body’s weight. When you’ve been rock climbing for a while, you’ll soon see the difference in your arms.

You may struggle to begin with because your arms aren’t powerful, but your arms will become stronger in time.

Shoulders are just as important because they help you keep your position, and it won’t be long before your shoulders develop tone and strength as well.

Strong Forearms

There’s a lot of gripping involved in rock climbing which means your forearms will soon be toned and strong.

Thigh Muscles

You use your legs when you’re climbing to push yourself upward. It’s the perfect workout for your legs, and you will soon firm up and tone your thigh muscles.

Back

Climbing helps you develop all your back muscle groups.

Heart Rate

When you spend lots of time outdoors doing a challenging physical activity, your heart rate will improve significantly. The activity you’re doing is nothing overly strenuous or speedy, which means you’re not damaging your heart muscle but toning it and making it stronger.

Photo, Joshua Earle.

Emotional and Psychological Benefits

Rock climbing does so much more than tone and strengthen your body.

Setting and Achieving Goals

When you’re rock climbing, it’s not about climbing forever. Before you start climbing, you’ll have a set goal in your mind of where you want to reach. Then, when you start climbing, you’re heading towards that goal. In time, you’ll get more confident at setting goals and achieving them, and this will affect your daily life goals too.

Awareness of Yourself and Your Surroundings

When you’re climbing a rock in the middle of nowhere, you have to be very aware of your surroundings. You’ve got to constantly think about where you are on the rock face, where you’re going to place your legs and hands next, and how you’ll shift your weight.

Time is very precious when you’re rock climbing, and you have to think and decide quickly. So, therefore, you have to be very aware of your surroundings and where you fit into that picture.

Photo, Danka & Peter.

Stress Buster

During a climb, you’ll be very focused on resolving any problems and reaching your final goal. With so many important things to occupy your mind, there’s little space left for daily worries and stresses.

Almost all forms of exercise have been proven to get rid of stress. When we exercise, the levels of norepinephrine in our brains increase. This chemical is what our brain uses to respond to stress. So if you’re climbing outdoors, you’re lowering your stress levels and getting lots of other benefits as well.

Increases Confidence

Rock climbing increases your confidence in yourself and can face any challenges in your life and overcome them.

Gets Your Brain Working

Climbing builds your lean muscle and improves your cardio, but it also gives your brain a workout. Many practical problems have to be solved during a climb, and your life depends on making the right decisions. Losing focus is not an option, and when you’re concentrating so hard during your workout, it impacts your brain’s ability to function in other areas of your daily life.

Now you know how beneficial rock climbing is, it’s time to embrace this outlet, discover, and push yourself in ways you’ve never done before.