The Many Benefits of Rock Climbing

Whether you are looking for rationale to support adding climbing to your program, or want to bask in the glory that you already have a climbing wall, read on.

1. Climbing builds physical skills and contributes to overall physical fitness:

• Aerobic and anaerobic activity
• Increased cardiovascular fitness
• Enhanced balance, coordination and flexibility
• Increased muscle strength and endurance
• Improved motor planning
• Enhanced body awareness

2. Climbing develops social-emotional skills:

• Increased self-knowledge, self-confidence and self-reliance
• Enhanced patience, perseverance, courage, trust, will power and self-control
• Meeting challenges/handling failure
• Positive risk taking
• Stress management
• Awareness of others
• Cooperation
• Leadership

3. Climbing enhances cognitive skills:

• Problem solving, including the identification of multiple solutions for challenges
• Decision and judgment making
• Increased focus and concentration
• Visualization and mental imaging
• Following directions and safety rules
• Goal setting
• Communication

4. Climbing enhances mental health.

• A recent study supports climbing/bouldering as effective in alleviating depression.
• In another study, climbing reduced anxiety.

5. Climbing attracts participants who are not drawn to traditional team sports and motivates them to be physically active, which brings all of these benefits.  

6. Climbing is a lifetime sport that engages people of all ages and allows children and adults alike to reap the benefits for decades.

7. Climbing enhances mindfulness, which has been shown to have many benefits.

• A study demonstrated that rock climbing increased mindfulness.

8. Climbing brings a level of success for all. It’s inclusive and allows for participation from a wide range of fitness and ability levels.

9. Climbing is everywhere – indoors (schools, camps, fitness clubs, churches, climbing gyms and more) and outdoors. Its growing popularity makes it easier and easier to find a place to climb.

10. It’s a fun, exciting and engaging way to spend time!