As proponents of the sport, we love to shout the benefits of bouldering from the rooftops. There is so much you can gain from starting bouldering. First of all, it is the ultimate full-body workout. You can utilise your aerobic capacity and build strength. Furthermore, things like core stability and flexibility will all be improved.
Notwithstanding are the mental aspects that you also have to tackle. From conquering your fears to solving complex problems your brain will also get a full workout too. It truly is a wonderful sport and its surge in popularity in recent years demonstrates that.
The Main Benefits of Bouldering – Physical
Ok, so now we will break down these main benefits into sections so you can easily digest all the information. You will find just how great of a sport bouldering is and there may be a few surprises on the way too.
A Full Body Workout – All Muscle Groups
This may seem counterintuitive to you, as you’d expect your arms to get the biggest workout, but in reality, bouldering is great for working out your whole body. You have to activate your core throughout the climbing session, and this will result in tighter abs!
What’s more, you will see that shoulders and back muscles will also have to work hard. Another muscles group you may not expect to engage is your legs! Lots of times you will have to push through dynamic movements with your feet, thus generating power from your lower body. As you can see, every muscle group seems to be in action!
Coordination and Balance Skills Will Increase
If you feel like you need to be in tune with your body, then one of the main benefits of bouldering is that you will increase things like your balance and coordination skills massively. You have to control your movements down to your breath in order to make certain moves. As time goes on, you will see just how easy it is to perch on holds smaller than a coin!
Flexibility – Finally Do the Splits!
Ok, maybe not the splits, but you will see a massive improvement in your flexibility. You have to contort your body in ways never done and this will mean you can do things you never thought possible! Furthermore, many boulderers use regular stretching routines or yoga to improve their flexibility in order to improve their skills.
Shed the Pounds and Burn Calories
The physical exertion needed in bouldering will ultimately mean you burn lots of extra calories. It is reported by many new to the sport that one of the main benefits of bouldering is the weight they shed and the muscle definition they gain. If you see some of the guys and girls at the gym that have been climbing for years, you’ll know what we are talking about!
The Main Benefits of Bouldering – Mental
Although you may expect the benefits of bouldering to be purely physical, you are wrong. The mind also has to work hard too. Not only this, but it is also a social activity and this also brings with it many positive traits.
Improve Problem Solving Skills
When you first start bouldering the problems are very easy to solve. Almost like a ladder. Nevertheless, as you progress, you will have to start thinking about the moves beforehand before you put them into practice. Almost like a jigsaw, you will have to analyse the way certain moves fit together.
This sort of analytical thought will improve as your experience grows. It is certainly one of the major, and often overlooked, aspects of bouldering and is what makes it so challenging.
Clears the Mind
It’s almost easy to think of bouldering as a meditative process. Once you are on the wall or rock, there is nothing else in the world you will be thinking about. Your goal will be to move to the next hold, your focus is solely in the moment. This state of flow is ultimately a calming process.
It’s crazy to think how busy we are these days, from work to always being online. Bouldering helps us escape this, even for just a few minutes at a time. This will have a massive positive impact on your state of mind going forward.
Personal Growth – Confidence and Challenges
Bouldering is the perfect sport to challenge yourself and see results quickly. You will gain confidence in yourself as you see how your goals are attainable. Furthermore, no boulderer will ever be satisfied by the grade they are at and will always want to push themselves further.
This presents a unique type of sport, where your ability does not particularly matter how you participate. The battle is ultimately you against the wall. All of the mentioned point above combine, and you will leave a session feeling like you can take on anything!
Connection with the Outdoors
Once you become good enough, you will want to go bouldering outdoors. Once you do this, you will start to feel a deeper connection with nature and will garner a greater appreciation for everything that exists outside our your normal four walls. Taking these extended trips outside the city will certainly improve your mental health!
Social Benefits of Bouldering
Another underestimated benefit of bouldering is the social element. When you start bouldering you will most likely do so indoors. There you will find that when you are not climbing you will be chatting!
You can go with friends and make it a regular meet-up, or most commonly you will meet likeminded people and make friends for life! If you go regularly and with the same people you will create a bond only bouldering can! It’s hard to explain, but once you find it, you’ll know what we are talking about.
Overall There Are Numerous Benefits of Bouldering
Overall it is clear to see that there are many different benefits of bouldering. Firstly, the physical aspects will improve your fitness levels and you will see improvement in your overall physique. Furthermore, the mental aspects will also allow you to thrive in areas you hadn’t even considered! Check out our bouldering shoes for beginners to start for your first gear!
Overall, bouldering is a wonderful sport. Check out or bouldering blog for more detailed guides.