It takes serious strength to haul and push your body weight up a rock face for long periods of time. Seasoned rock climbers tend to develop very strong but lean frames, with tight, toned muscles. The more you practice rock climbing, the greater your chances of achieving a similarly toned physique. Rock climbing also requires incredible focus, which can be a great stress reliever. It can help you forget "real world" problems and immerse yourself in the present.
Climbing
Novices to the sport of climbing often assume that most of the work happens in the arms. The best climbers, however, use nearly every major muscle in their body to efficiently move up a wall. That means putting much of your weight on your legs to push, rather than pull yourself up. Nonetheless, as you progress to more difficult routes and climbing styles, you'll find that your body gets a serious workout every time. Your forearms, biceps and muscles in your shoulders will tighten up to deal with the extra strain.
Endurance and Strength
Climbing builds core strength in your lower back and abdomen. For example, the authors of "Fitness Professional's Guide to Strength Training Older Adults" conducted a test involving 30 adults climbing for just 20 minutes per session, twice a week for two months. They noted marked improvements in muscle strength, flexibility, body composition and cardiovascular endurance. Unlike weight training, climbing is an aerobic exercise that requires you to use your muscles for extended periods. Your heart and circulation system are called into action to keep the blood pumping to the muscles. The muscles in turn develop more slow twitch fibers to deal with the prolonged usage, making them tighter and more toned.
Stress Relief
Climbers often talk of being in "the zone." This is a state of mind in which you concentrate only on what you need to do to scale a wall or rock face. Entrepreneur Luke Johnson explains in the Financial Times that activities such as climbing both create and relieve stress. For example, the need to make a choice over which hand-hold to reach for before you slip back on the rope is in itself stressful. Over time, however, focus and clear-mindedness develop when climbing. This can even help diminish tendencies to procrastinate and feelings of nervousness in your daily life.
Endorphins
The brain neurotransmitters known as endorphins are commonly associated with sports and high-risk activities. They work in a similar way to opiates, providing a sense of both happiness and pain relief, according to the University of Bristol Chemistry Department. Climbers may experience something of a "high" or energized feeling when climbing that removes stress and even some aches from the body. Of course, though the endorphin feeling is temporary, the benefits of climbing to your overall physique and cardiovascular health can also help to keep you happy and relaxed.
References
- Restored Church of God; Rock Climbing; Bradford G. Schleifer; August 2007
- "Fitness Professional's Guide to Strength Training Older Adults"; Thomas R. Baechle, et al.; 2010
- FT.com; Healthy Body, Healthy Business; Luke Johnson; June 2010
- Bristol University Department of Chemistry: Endorphins - The Feel-good Molecules
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