Benefits of Indoor and Outdoor Rock Climbing
1. Indoor rock climbing is a great way to exercise and maintain your body. The physical activity of climbing requires the use of most major muscle groups, especially in the arms and legs. It also increases endurance and cardiovascular fitness. Power is generated by the small muscles in hands and feet, which are used for gripping and toeing-off.
2. Indoor climbing can increase agility and balance as you climb up and down the wall, traverse across rocks, and balance on small footholds, all while pulling your body weight over rough terrain with just your hands. Bouldering (climbing shorter walls without ropes) is a great way to build core strength as well as leg, back, and arm strength.
3. Climbing can increase bone density, which helps prevent osteoporosis later in life. This is especially helpful for young women who may lose bone density after menopause due to lower estrogen levels.
Climbing also increases muscle strength which helps protect the joints against stress fractures that commonly plague runners and other athletes whose lower extremities are put under stress with repetitive motion.
4. Indoor climbing provides a great cross-training alternative for people involved in running or other sports that can be hard on their bodies or result in a risk of injury from overuse.
Other great activities for cross-training include cycling, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, and weight lifting (for bouldering). For beginners, indoor rock climbing can be a great way to introduce strength training into a cardio-dominant workout routine.
5. Climbing indoors can help reduce stress and relieve anxiety. By providing a fun way to work out, climbing gives you time for yourself during your busy day to focus on something other than the pressures of life’s daily demands.
The rhythmic nature of indoor climbing also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows down your heart rate and decreases stress hormones such as cortisol that are released when you’re feeling anxious or under pressure from deadlines at work or school.
This, in turn, reduces feelings of depression and anxiety by activating the body’s natural relaxation response. For many people who frequent rock gyms, gym climbing is even performed as a therapy to work out/relax from a hard day.
6. Indoor climbing can help you meet new people and make new friends, especially if the facility is part of a fitness center with other amenities such as a pool or yoga studio that encourages socialization among members.
The camaraderie that comes from belaying for your partner during climbs, cheering each other on while bouldering, and supporting one another by spotting also helps build stronger interpersonal connections.
This type of interaction provides many opportunities to develop communication skills, which is an invaluable asset in everyday life whether you’re working in an office setting or just getting together with friends over dinner at home.
Not only are indoor rock climbers fit, strong, motivated individuals who take pride in conquering a challenging physical feat, they’re also a unique breed that enjoys the unconventional. They live life on their own terms and make it a point to do what makes them happy.
Climbing provides them with the opportunity to experience the world from a perspective few people get to see, whether it’s exploring beautiful landscapes or finding an unusual way down from an impassable mountain ridge in Patagonia. In short indoor climbing is good for your body and mind!
Indoor rock climbing as an exercise:
indoor rock climbing is a great workout and can produce gains in strength and endurance similar to those seen from outdoor climbing. Indoor gyms usually provide walls that mimic the types of holds you’d find outdoors, though, so if you frequently run into problems finding time or weather to climb outside, this is an excellent way to make your training more convenient.
Even 10-15 minutes at an indoor gym several times each week (particularly if it’s close enough to drive to) will make a difference in your overall fitness level and help build stronger muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Outdoor rock climbing benefits:
1). You can burn up to 363 calories per hour—just by hanging out!
2 ). Outdoor climbers have a lower body mass index than their indoor-only peers. 3). Rock climbing makes you happy!
4 ). Climbing is just plain fun—and a great workout!
5). It’s safer to climb outside than in an indoor gym because there are no rocks or holds thrown at you by other climbers (or belayers) for stalling out, getting pumped, or taking too long between attempts.
6). You can enjoy the beautiful view while looking forward to your next climb rather than dreading it like most people do when they walk into an average gym.
7). No crowds, lines, sour attitudes, or heavy traffic jams (unless you’re bouldering at Rumney in New Hampshire on a Saturday afternoon!).
8 ). You get bragging rights over your indoor-only friends when you send your project to the great outdoors.
Bouldering benefits:
1). Bouldering is accessible to everyone, regardless of age or fitness level.
2 ). You can boulder hard right from the start!
3 ). No equipment is needed other than shoes, chalk, and a chalk bag (although some gyms do provide them for free).
4). It’s safe because no ropes are involved.
5). It provides a good aerobic workout without destroying your skin or joints.
6 ). Your forearms will burn continuously—just like when doing pull-ups on the doorframe in junior high school!
7). Proper technique combined with variety creates gains in strength and power that transfer over to sports performance and other recreational pursuits
8 ). You can boulder anywhere, whether it’s indoors or outdoors
9). Boulder problems are short enough to finish within the time limit of a work break.
Spiritual benefits of rock climbing:
1). Use your body as a tool for self-discovery and personal growth!
2 ). A number one priority in our lives should be becoming strong, healthy, happy individuals who are capable of living life on their terms.
3). And that starts right here by besting ourselves at every opportunity to improve ourselves—even if only by an inch—in training…and life!
4 ). Train hard but train smart!
5). We believe spirituality is the foundation upon which everything else rests.
6). Rock climbing integrates the mind and body in a way that can foster spiritual self-discovery.
7). You get more out of life by doing things you enjoy, so rock climb to gain new experiences!
8 ). And lastly, we believe having fun is an important part of mental health and well-being.
Benefits of outdoor rock climbing:
1) You get to see beautiful views and experience nature at its finest!
2) Outdoor climbing is great cross-training for sports such as running and cycling.
3) Sometimes it’s just nice to get outside and breathe some fresh air while taking in some Vitamin D from the sun (when it’s not too hot or cold)!
4 ) Outdoor climbing also helps improve your sense of direction and time management because you’re forced to pay attention to where you are on the wall.
5 ) You’ll appreciate an indoor bouldering session more after climbing at your limit outside because you realize how little holds, terrain features, footholds, etc…
Disadvantages of climbing:
1). The risk of spraining, straining, or even breaking a bone is much greater!
2). It’s definitely not cheap.
3). You have to go outside or at least be willing to travel a distance to find quality climbing areas
4) If you live in a city, it’s probably very difficult to find any decent outdoor climbing!
5). Climbing harnesses and shoes can feel kind of constricting and uncomfortable.
6). You’ll need plenty of space (ideally 30+ feet) for bouldering indoors, as well as some cardio conditioning if you’re going to traverse longer distances as one might typically experience outside.
7 ). There is no coaches or instructors present which means you must take responsibility for your own safety.
8). You need to be free of any wrist or hand injuries that could affect your gripping ability.
Advantages of indoor rock climbing:
1). It’s the safest form of the sport because there is absolutely no risk for injury unless you’re bouldering alone and unsupervised!
2) Gyms are more accessible than outdoor climbing areas so it can feel like there are limitless options for practicing technique.
3). You can work on problems/routes at your own pace without having to wait in line behind faster climbers.
4 ). Even if you aren’t very strong, you can use the technique to easily ascend routes—which means harder climbs will come quicker!
5) You don’t have to deal with Mother Nature or her unpredictable weather.
6). Climbing gyms are generally cleaner than outdoors which reduces your chances of contracting an infectious disease.
7). You’ll leave the gym with that “I just got my ass kicked!” feeling, but it’s a good hurt!
8) Most importantly—you can climb indoors year-round at the convenience of where you live!
Benefits of climbing for toddlers:
1). It’s a wonderful way to encourage an active lifestyle in your children.
2). Climbing promotes dexterity, spatial awareness, body control, and kinesthetic awareness.
3) It enhances their self-esteem which can carry into other areas of their lives.
4 ). Kids love to challenge themselves by climbing higher!
5). Both indoor and outdoor climbing is suitable for young children – it all depends on what level you are comfortable with them doing since the rules vary between facilities.
6). Attempting things they aren’t able to do pushes them beyond their limits helping them to feel accomplished while learning that failure isn’t always negative, but actually helps set new goals!
7) They gain independence because they learn how to tie their own shoes, put on their own harnesses and tie the knot of their belay device.
8) Climbing is an incredibly healthy sport for developing children because it helps to strengthen muscles, bones, and joints while improving flexibility.