The benefits of bouldering have taken the world by storm since climbing was introduced into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Rock climbing, which was once an on-the-fringe activity, is now mainstream. No more dusty and dank climbing walls; say hello to the new generation of climbing!
Bouldering was originally a way for mountaineers to train for their larger mountain ascents. However, when climbing blew up for the first time in the 1980s, it switched climber’s perception of bouldering on its heels. Now, a completely separate style of climbing, bouldering has infiltrated the world, and walls can be found in almost any major city.
Why has bouldering become so popular? Besides being a great pastime that allows us to reconnect with our inner child, climbing has tremendous health benefits! Bouldering is a mix of cardiovascular exercise, strength training and problem-solving. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 benefits of this amazing sport below.
Benefit 1: A full body workout
The benefits of rock climbing can be seen far from the bouldering wall. Climbing around on walls 3 metres high may not look like much of a workout, I’ll admit, but don’t knock it until you try it! When bouldering, you’re using your entire body, whether you’re pushing, pulling, swinging, or jumping your way up a wall.
The largest muscle groups influenced by bouldering are the arms, shoulders, back, and core. You also use your legs and glutes when climbing, too! From the outside, many people think that climbers pull their way up a climbing wall. While it’s true that we use our arms in most of our movement, we’re actually mainly using our legs to propel us upward!
Benefit 2: Improved flexibility
Bouldering isn’t a one-size-fits-all activity. What I mean by this is that some boulder problems are ‘morpho’ (catered toward different body types, normally harder for shorter climbers). Because some boulders won’t suit your style of climbing, you’ll need to be more flexible to send them!
By contorting your body into different positions over and over, you improve your flexibility without even doing any yoga! Yoga is a still a great addition to climbing, though! Check our guide on yoga and climbing being a powerful combination.
This study shows how flexibility improved in thirty individuals after 8 weeks of indoor rock climbing. Then, the participants were instructed to stop bouldering for another 8 weeks, and their bodies were measured again. It was found that their flexibility decreased in the 8 weeks after they stopped climbing. This just goes to show that the age-old saying rings true: ‘Use it or lose it!’
Benefit 3: Enhanced problem-solving skills
The health benefits of bouldering include more than strengthening your muscles. What’s great about rock climbing is that it challenges more than our physical body. An important benefit of climbing is that it enhances our problem-solving skills.
Climbing is physical but deciding how to climb a boulder is mental. When we view a boulder problem, we think of how we will climb it and then try it. If we send it, yay! If we don’t, we must readjust our thinking and figure out a new way that works for our body. Sometimes, it’s something as simple as moving our hips slightly or even reaching with a different hand.
This is why boulder routes are called ‘problems’. We must solve them!
Benefit 4: Improved confidence
Indoor rock climbing has been a fabulous way to introduce more people to this amazing sport. Since they offer boulder problems catered to beginners and experts alike, there are endless opportunities to improve your climbing skills and confidence in a safe environment.
What’s great about bouldering is that you don’t need to be 15 metres in the air to try a specific move. (Besides, you won’t find many bouldering walls over 3 metres). You can practice all you want on a bouldering wall only a few steps off the ground! By practicing climbing moves low on the wall, you build your confidence to do so when you’re higher!
Disclaimer: Climbing is inherently dangerous so should always be done with safety in mind
Benefit 5: Improved cardiovascular endurance
The health benefits of bouldering also include improving your cardiovascular health! A study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine backs this from their research of studying climbers. They discovered that indoor climbing was found to require the same amount of energy expenditure as running at a pace of 8-to-11-minutes a mile! As somebody who hates running, that was great news to find out!
The more you challenge your body on the wall, the higher your heart rate will increase. Elite climbers, we’re talking USA Climbing’s national team, measured heart rates as high as 150 beats per minute. This is just another reason to try to push yourself and climb harder!
Check out this fun video below where Louis Parkison from Catalyst Climbing tries to keep his heart rate above 160 beats per minute for 10 minutes!
Benefit 6: Helps with depression
We all know that depression is a serious illness; it affects roughly 9.5% of the U.S. adult population each year. According to the National Library of Medicine, it’s estimated that approximately 17% of the U.S. population will suffer from a major depressive episode at some point in their lifetime. While traditional medicine and practices may work for some, others may want to try Bouldering psychotherapy.
This study proves that those who treated their depression with exercise instead of regular at-home remedies found a significant decrease in their diagnosis. But this study isn’t alone; this one and this one also shows that climbing can help reduce depression, anxiety, impulsiveness, and restlessness. If you’re not finding relief, consider trying out bouldering to improve your mental health!
Benefit 7: Social benefits
Bouldering can be as social or antisocial as you like. Sometimes, I’ll go to the bouldering gym with my headphones in and not talk to a single person. Other times, I chat with other climbers so much that I forget I have a project I’m working on. It’s easier to spark conversation with strangers over a shared interest, such as bouldering.
Bouldering is all about trying hard moves in a short sequence. Therefore, there is plenty of downtime hanging around while you’re resting. This fosters a collaborative environment that encourages climbers to connect with each other and talk about anything. The bouldering mats are a great place to socialise with other climbers.
Benefit 8: Bouldering gets you outside
If you’re like me, you enjoy a good sunny day outside. However, many Americans, possibly up to 40%, are thought to have a Vitamin D deficiency. While not life-threatening by any means, a lack of Vitamin D can have adverse effects such as mood swings, fatigue, hair loss, and even joint pain.
Indoor climbing is great but if you ever get the chance to boulder outdoors and under the sun, I suggest you try it! Whether surrounded by trees or wide-open spaces, climbing feels more special when touching real rocks and exploring new places.
Benefit 9: No partner and minimal gear required
This is where the indoor climbing benefits are exceptional. Climbing gyms cater to all levels of climbers, from beginners to experts. Plus, all you need to boulder at a gym is a pair of rock climbing shoes! Plenty of gyms rent these, too! I recommend getting some chalk, but that’s because I have super sweaty hands. Some people don’t even need it; you may be one of them!
Bouldering is the only style of rock climbing that requires very little gear. What’s also great about it is that it can be done alone! Since bouldering gyms have large mats covering their facility floor, you don’t typically need a spotter. This allows you to go on your own schedule whenever you want without coordinating with a partner.
This If you are wanting to go outside then you will likely want to buy a boulder pad as well for safe landings and go with others who can ‘spot’ you when you climb. For more info on outdoor bouldering, check out our detailed on guide on preparing for outdoor bouldering.
Benefit 10: You can boulder all-year round
Many activities depend on the season and the weather. But not with bouldering — you can go indoor climbing year-round! Climbing gyms are a great place to get out of the house when you want to move your body, but the weather doesn’t agree.
Besides being the perfect place to escape bad weather, they’re a great tool to train for during the off-season. Nobody likes to boulder outside when the weather is below freezing (well, some people may, but I definitely don’t). Some gyms even offer a 24-hour option, so you can boulder whenever your heart desires!
Recap of the benefits of bouldering
Bouldering has transformed much in its short history, from starting as a tool to help mountaineers climb mountains to now being in the Olympics. Many climbers are even strictly boulderers; they don’t explore the other styles because there is already so much to offer!
The benefits of bouldering are incredible! It’s a full-body workout that helps improve flexibility, problem-solving skills, confidence, and even cardiovascular endurance! Plus, studies show that bouldering helps with depression, there are many social benefits, it can get you outside, and you need minimal gear. Even more, you can boulder year-round! If that doesn’t sound like a positive activity to engage in, then I’m not sure what does!
So go ahead and tell us what your favorite benefit of bouldering is in the comments!
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