1. Warm Up Before You Climb Up
Stretching before you go rock climbing will help elongate your muscles, which will give you a wider range of motion to help you better reach and climb. Before you start stretching, however, it's important to warm your muscles up so you get the most out of your routine and prevent strains and tears. A good warm up is any low-impact activity that gets your respiration and heart rate up. Take a 5 minute walk or jog. Do 30 jumping jacks or skip rope for a couple of minutes. When you're done with your exercise, you should be close to sweating but not quite there.
2. Stretching in Place
You should make static stretches a part of your warm-up routine each time you rock climb. In a static stretch, you take a position as far as you can, then hold it for a while so you continue to elongate the muscle. To figure out how far you should go in a position, extend the muscle right up to the point where you'd feel pain if you went any further. As you hold the position, however, you can lean into it as far as you're able. Instead of counting to 10 before you release the stretch, pay attention to your muscle. Feel it relax and expand before you release. Stretch your quadriceps, biceps and back to prepare for rock climbing. Do each stretch smoothly and release the stretch smoothly; avoid jerky or bouncy motions.
3. Stretch Like a Dynamo
Dynamic stretches done as part of a motion, usually a very slow motion that uses the body as resistance. To get the most out of a dynamic stretch, do a number of repetitions. Good dynamic stretches for rock climbers include climbing up and down a flight of stairs. The movements need to be deliberate and slow, so the muscles is works against the weight of your body. For another stretch, swing your arms in large circles and rotate your neck from side-to-side and front-to-back. Also, bend at the waste to warm up the muscles in your arms, shoulders, neck and back. Walk 50 yards with very high knees, then perform walking lunges. These are all good examples of dynamic stretches that will help prepare your muscles for rock climbing.
