Bouldering is a complex activity that brings benefits on several levels, from physical to mental to emotional.
How is bouldering good for you? Regular bouldering helps develop a strong, lean physique. It develops spatial awareness and improves balance. As with other forms of exercise, bouldering boosts brain health and mood. The focus and concentration needed while bouldering serves a similar role to meditation in alleviating stress and anxiety.
Become Stronger and More Toned
Bouldering regularly will lead to an increase in strength. Just by doing bouldering problems your muscles will become stronger and more toned.
However, do not expect a lot of muscle bulk, since bouldering develops a leaner body type than weight lifting. Instead, boulderers notice an increase in functional strength that makes daily tasks, such as opening jars, much easier to do.
Bouldering is a full-body workout. The incredible range of movements used on the various types of problems engages a lot of different muscles. Done properly, bouldering works the legs and lower body as well as developing upper body strength. The contortions of climbing and reaching for waist-high footholds will result in a very strong core.
To ensure a more thorough workout, down-climb from the wall instead of jumping down. Down-climbing from a finished problem will engage the muscles that oppose those used in upward pulling.
To get a cardiovascular workout as well as a physical workout, push yourself through several problems you consider challenging for your current level. Doing problems that the climber finds difficult has been shown to increase heart rate (1).
To increase your endurance, do several long, back and forth traverses as part of your warm up. Another option is to do circuits. A circuit is a series of problems done back to back with no break in between. Each circuit is rated for difficulty, and is marked by holds of a specific colour. Most individual bouldering problems have less than 10 moves, which will build strength rather than endurance.
To increase your confidence on the wall, try traverses. A traverse, where one works the wall sideways instead of upwards, is a good way to practice moves in a more relaxed fashion, since there isn’t the fear of too much height. Traverses are also good practice for footwork, since they involve lot of leading with feet.
Improved Balance and Spatial Awareness
Bouldering will make you more in tune with the world around you. Climbing provides immediate feedback on hand moves, techniques, body positioning, and footwork. It’s a great way to develop more body awareness. The delicate balance used on the holds will improve balance on the ground.
As you shift your position on the wall, you will lose sight of holds you plan on using. Remembering where the holds are located as your position moves will be a great boost to fine tuning spatial awareness.
A Happier, Better Brain
There are a surprising number of brain boosting benefits associated with bouldering. Some benefits are due to the general benefits of exercise, but others are surprisingly associated with aspects specific to bouldering itself.
Memory
Bouldering is the perfect sport for doubling one’s working memory. It has the three elements identified as fundamental for this goal (2): vigorous activity, the mental engagement of route planning, and physical movement through space as one progresses along the problem.
Working memory is the short-term retention of information for immediate use, for example planning the route to take on the drive home or deciding where to focus one’s attention.
According to the study, two hours of an activity such as bouldering, where there is a high requirement for self and spatial perception, will double working memory as measured immediately after the activity.
Stress Relief
Bouldering is also effective for releasing stress and anxiety. There is a meditation-like Zen inherent in being engaged in a completely engrossing activity. When working one’s way up the wall, absorbed in reaching for holds, there is no mental room for ruminating. Breathe deeply to enhance the experience, and avoid the habit of holding your breath as you climb.
Problem-Solving
Bouldering engages and develops problem-solving ability through the technical and strategic demands of the sport.
Both exercise and social activity are associated with better mental health. The benefits of bouldering’s physical demands, reinforced by the benefits of a bouldering gym’s friendly social environment, combine to produce an environment that benefits both body and mind.
Are there any other benefits to bouldering?
Yes! Bouldering burns a lot of calories. Bouldering generally uses more exertion than climbing, and according to a Harvard Medical School study, ascending during rock climbing will burn between 330 to 488 calories for every 30 minutes of activity (the range depends on weight, from 125 to 133 pounds or 56 to 60 kg). Compare this to the 90 to 133 calories for the same amount of time spend on weightlifting, and climbing or bouldering are clearly in the lead in terms of energy expenditure.
Bouldering will also naturally increase flexibility since a large part of the sport is stretching out repeatedly to reach holds. To increase the benefit, do some stretching sessions as part of your post-climb cool down.
Related Questions
How many days a week should I climb? Start slow, no more than 1 – 3 times a week in the beginning. Bouldering too frequently, especially in the first year, can lead to tendon problems. If you feel twinges at 2 – 3 times a week, cut back to one session per week. Some people new to the sport start getting tendon issues at twice a week, others can handle going daily. As a rule of thumb, the older you are, the more you need to pace out your sessions. Before doing another bouldering session, wait until you are no longer stiff and sore from the last session. In between sessions, consider doing a stretching or yoga routine as preparation.
How do I improve my performance? To improve your technique, start your sessions with a warmup on problems that you find very easy, but focus on doing each move very deliberately and efficiently. During your session, go for quality over quantity. Redo problems that you find tricky and difficult until they feel easy and efficient. Do this type of training when you are fresh, not when you are tired, to keep your muscle memory from picking up bad habits. If a problem gets the best of you, give it a break and come back to it later.