Benefits of Climbing for Kids
Climbing is a unique sport, offering a myriad of benefits for kids. While it certainly enhances physical strength, its true value lies in the confidence and functional strength it instills. Moreover, climbing fosters a positive body image, aids in emotional regulation, and nurtures a deep connection with nature. Intrigued by the comprehensive benefits of this sport? Keep reading!
The Benefit of Confidence
Confidence is a mentality that some of us may have innately, but it is also something that all of us, especially children, can learn to cultivate. Climbing teaches children confidence not only in their physical abilities but also their mental strength. Climbing is a sport that allows children to focus their play on a specific goal of topping a climb, while also providing them with the added challenge of finding the best way to reach the top. When their goal is achieved, a child can feel a profound sense of accomplishment, proud of the strength and mental prowess they demonstrated in defying fear and finding a path forward. Climbing is also uniquely positioned to allow children to find confidence and apply it to loftier goals, continually building on their confidence and pushing boundaries for what they can achieve. This confidence can translate into pride in children's problem-solving skills in other facets of life and in overcoming fears that exist beyond their comfort zone.
The Benefit of Functional Strength
Climbing has long been touted as a type of strength that athletes must possess to compete in the sport. Studies have shown a correlation with longevity and grip strength, of which the later climbers have in spades. For kids, the benefits of developing functional strength through climbing are even more pronounced, as their muscles and connective tissues are more resilient and build strength and endurance, which in turn leads to increased plasticity that persists into adulthood. The coordination, hip mobility, and upper body strength required for climbing vary as commercial sets in gyms constantly change. Movement in climbing is rarely repetitive and helps kids develop their bodily movement and posture, making them less susceptible to chronic injuries due to repetitive motion, which are more common. This reassures parents and caregivers about the health and fitness benefits climbing can bring to their children.
The Benefit of Emotional Regulation
The stereotype of an angsty teen exists for a reason, and if you have spent any time around a teenager, you have likely witnessed an emotional outburst or two. While charged emotions are just part of growing up, climbing is an incredible vehicle to help kids learn from an early age how to react to failure healthily and harness the power of positive self-talk to achieve their goals. One of the most uniquely defining qualities of climbing is that a climber is constantly presented with a success or failure state that is directly comparable to that climber’s “best” performance. In almost no other sport is an athlete expected to perform at their highest level at every practice in every rep. Yet, climbing is innately an invitation to compare yourself to your most complex sent climb every time you are on the wall, and thus provides a lot of opportunity for frustration and unhelpful comparison. Kids who climb learn to regulate their emotional reaction to failure and develop maturity in understanding long-term goals. The benefits of these emotional skills extend far beyond the sport of climbing, preparing kids to become competent and thoughtful adults in the future.
The Benefit of Connecting With Nature
In the United States, approximately 23% of public climbing lands are situated within national parks. Unique to only a handful of sports, climbing is one of the few that can require an athlete to complete an “approach” (aka hike, scramble, and sometimes even bushwack a bit!) to reach a crag or outdoor climbing destination. Introducing a child to climbing, especially outdoor climbing, can potentially instill in them a lifelong love of the natural world. It is nearly impossible not to marvel at the grandeur of massive boulders and towering slabs of rock and feel a deep connection to the planet on which we reside. Many climbers become involved in efforts to clean, maintain, and improve our nation’s protected lands, thereby becoming stewards of our most precious natural resources. Climbing has the power to instill this type of responsibility and ownership in a child, inspiring them to protect and cherish our environment, which may be the most valuable benefit of all.
How has climbing enriched your life or the life of a child you know? We'd love to hear your experiences in the comments below!
