10 Benefits of Bouldering
Have you been curious to try bouldering? Maybe you’ve seen it online or happened to catch it in the Olympics? Or perhaps you’re already a climber, but you stick to the tall walls at your climbing gym.
Do you fall into one of the inquisitive categories of “What’s the rave about bouldering, anyway?” or “Why choose to do something where you don’t even climb that high?” or maybe even “Wouldn’t you want to climb higher, isn’t that the point?”
It can be a challenge to understand why bouldering is so popular. It looks pretty funny from the outside; even from the inside! But today, without ever going bouldering, you’ll learn what makes bouldering so great by discovering 10 health benefits it offers!
A Full Body Workout
We think this goes without saying, but surely you’ve seen how tricky bouldering can be. Climbing those condensed routes jam-packs the most complex moves into a smaller sequence, forcing you to try hard.
Bouldering includes pulling, pushing, and engaging your core—it’s a full-body split in one; a full-body workout! Bouldering isn’t as traditional as weightlifting in the way that you can’t usually target specific muscle groups the exact way on both sides (if you’re climbing boulder problems). However, you still reap the benefits of muscle engagement while trying to make your way to the top of the wall!
Getting More Flexible
Many climbers understand the importance of being flexible when tackling boulder problems. While some climbers can muscle their way through specific sequences, others must figure out a way to move their bodies differently to do the same, in case they can’t rely on their muscles.
Being able to touch your toes, lift your feet to your hips, and open your hips are all ways that flexibility can help your balance on the wall. The method for sending more is to improve your strength and flexibility together, so you work in sync.
Problem-Solving
Another reason so many people love bouldering is that climbing routes are called “problems.” Boulder problems are named as such because they must be solved.
Instead of relying purely on your physical body, you must tap into the mental side of climbing that helps you decode how to get up a wall. Which hand goes where, how do you move your hips, and which foot do you step with? The problem-solving aspect is a significant reason many climbers come back to the bouldering gym; it feels great to solve a problem!
Improved Confidence
Bouldering is a great way to help improve your confidence. Being nervous about doing a new move higher on the wall, with so much open space below you, can be daunting. Instead, you can practice that same move while just barely off the ground.
By overcoming small fears like performing new moves close to the ground, you learn that you have what it takes to do the same movements mid-climb, no matter where you’re at in the air. So next time you’re faced with a hard move high above the bouldering mats, you’ll already know you can do hard things, and the second-guessing takes a back seat.
Cardiovascular Endurance
When we mentioned that bouldering is a full-body workout, we meant it! Not only will you hit every major muscle group, but you’ll also move your body enough to increase your cardiovascular endurance.
This won’t happen if you only climb well below your limit, so you must seek out climbs that are hard for you and really push yourself to get these benefits. The more you push yourself, the higher your heart rate will be and the more cardio you’ll perform!
Boulder Can Help With Depression
While not a cure, per se, bouldering can help with symptoms of depression. A study published by the National Library of Medicine found that those who treated their depression with exercise instead of regular at-home remedies found a significant decrease in their diagnosis.
This isn’t to say that bouldering will make all your problems disappear, but it may give you some much-needed relief. Having something to look forward to that can be socializing and confidence-building is a great way to help anybody switch it up. If you’re curious about depression, please speak with a licensed healthcare provider.
Social Benefits
Walk into any climbing gym in the country during peak hours, and you’re sure to see climbers hanging out on the mats talking with each other. Bouldering is an incredibly social sport; sharing beta, encouraging others, giving spots— it’s an individualistic activity with a community.
When there is a lot of downtime between tries on the wall, it's an excellent opportunity to chat with other climbers and make some new friends. Of course, bouldering doesn’t need to be social. It can actually be as anti-social as you want. Sometimes, we want to pop in some earbuds, lock into our zone, and throw down on some plastic; that’s cool, too!
Bouldering Can Take You Places
If you’ve been wanting to get outside to climb, bouldering is the most accessible way to do so. You need your shoes, some chalk, and a crashpad. (Climbing with friends to spot each other is usually recommended when bouldering outside.)
Did you know? According to HealthMatch, something like 40% of Americans are thought to have a Vitamin D deficiency. Let’s help that statistic out and get bouldering outside!
Requires Minimal Gear
Like we just said, bouldering doesn’t require much. You get a pair of shoes, maybe some chalk, then you show up to the climbing gym, and voilà, that’s all you need! If you plan to go climbing outside, you will want a crashpad. To get started, you don’t need anything else!
Plus, you don’t even need a partner if you don’t want one. Or, if your schedule doesn’t line up with your regular partner, that doesn’t need to stop you from hitting the climbing gym and trying the new set! You can go on your own schedule and climb whenever you want!
Bouldering is Year-Round
Many activities are seasonal or weather-dependent. While outdoor climbing falls into this category, indoor bouldering doesn't. You can go bouldering any time of the year! Super cold in the winter? Brave the weather and hit the gym. Incredibly hot in the summer? Beat the heat and hit the gym.
Rock climbing gyms are great places to be when the weather isn’t cooperative with outdoor adventures. Although they tend to get crowded, it just means the community is all in one place at once!
Will You Boulder?
Have you decided if trying out bouldering is for you? If you’re curious, come check out the walls we have at Rendezvous climbing, or give us a call to speak with our staff today!
Remember, there are many health benefits to bouldering, but you don’t need to climb just because it can be beneficial to your health. Try it out, and who knows, maybe you’ll keep bouldering because it’s fun!
