Looking to mix up your fitness routine? Indoor rock climbing is a great way to work on your endurance, build strength and give your balance a boost. It’s an exciting sport that can be adopted by virtually anyone, of any age and fitness level, whether you’re a hardcore athlete, weekend warrior, or a desk jockey.
If you’ve ever thought, “how do I try rock climbing near me?” then you’ll be happy to know that indoor rock climbing offers the same health benefits of outdoor climbing—without the hassle of travel time, bugs, and creepy crawlies!
Here are the top 5 health benefits of indoor rock climbing:
1. It Strengthens Your Muscles While Being Low Impact
Indoor rock climbing uses virtually every major muscle group in your body, making it a great whole-body alternative to pumping iron at the gym. You’ll use the large muscles in your arms and legs to pull your body up the wall, while your abs work to keep you stable and balanced. Rock climbing is a low-impact exercise, which means it is easier on your body, particularly your joints, while still being a great full-body workout.
2. It Improves Your Flexibility
All the reaching, stretching, and climbing that’s involved with scaling an indoor climbing wall can dramatically improve your overall flexibility and range of motion, which in turn helps give your body a lean, toned appearance.
3. It Challenges Your Cardiovascular System
Climbing up an indoor course is hard work, which means your heart rate will be boosted from the moment you step onto the first foothold right up until you touch the top. This can help increase your stamina, burn calories, and strengthen your heart and lungs.
4. It Combats Chronic Disease
As with any type of vigorous exercise that’s done for 20 minutes or longer at a time, spending some time at your local rock climbing gym can help reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and even some forms of cancer.
Better yet, rock climbing has been shown to be an effective, all-natural way to battle back against the damaging effects of chronic stress, thanks to the fact that scaling a wall leads to a real feel-good sense of accomplishment—high-fives for everyone!
5. It Can Help Improve Coordination
If you’ve always struggled with physical coordination, indoor rock climbing may help you develop better hand-eye coordination while increasing your sense of spatial awareness. Indoor rock climbing can boost your cognitive and problem-solving skills because to reach the top of the wall, you need to carefully plan your movements, and this can translate to real-world improvements with your day-to-day activities.
The next time you’re searching for “rock climbing near me”, be sure to look for a facility that offers expert guidance from qualified, experienced instructors who know how to make your indoor rock climbing experience safe, fun and challenging!
