In recent years, rock climbing has gained popularity and has come to be known as one of the best exercises for people of all ages and skill levels. Rock climbing is easily one of the most fun ways to exercise, and it is clear why it has gained so much popularity in recent years.  According to Time Magazine, “Exercise is all about engaging your muscles—from your heart to your biceps and quads—and asking those muscles to perform work. And when it comes to activating and training a diverse range of muscles, few exercises rival climbing”. Not only does climbing promote physical health, but it promotes mental health as well. Climbing has endless mental health benefits which can help you be your best self, such as decreasing stress and promoting mindfulness, while also creating a strong mind-body connection. These incredible benefits of climbing not only benefit adult climbers, but they benefit children climbers as well. When climbing, not only do kids benefit from all the climbing benefits mentioned above, but it is also a great way for them to develop social-emotional skills. There are many climbing activities that can help promote communication and group-work, aiding in children’s social-emotional development.

Everlast Climbing™ is dedicated to improving youth fitness, mainly through the use of our Traverse Walls®. With a Traverse Wall, users climb horizontally instead of vertically. The use of this wall in a gym or school is an ideal option to keep children engaged, fit and having fun.  A study was conducted in 2013 at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington specifically to determine the amount of energy children used to climb on a traverse climbing wall. Their energy expenditure was measured with accelerometers and MET values were determined for each axis of movement – horizontal, vertical and lateral. Data showed that traverse climbing, when measured along the horizontal axis of movement was a moderate activity demanding 4 METS.  Data also showed that vigorous efforts (up to 7 METs) were required for short intervals and when axes of movement were combined, climbing was found to be a very vigorous activity. Climbing, notably with a Traverse Wall™, is truly the perfect exercise for children of all ages. Rock climbing has endless benefits that can be utilized by kids and adults alike, making it the perfect exercise to promote physical and mental health.