© NL Beeld

© NL Beeld

What is it? -

Rock climbing is the act of scaling up rock faces. You can either do it in an indoor gym or on actual rock faces.

© Getty Images

Bouldering -

Bouldering, a special kind of rock climbing, is when you go up against smaller rock faces with no harness at all. Although you can usually choose to use a harness and ropes or not.

© Getty Images

When and where did it become a thing? -

Humans have been climbing rocks forever. However, the trend has come back strong in the past few years. No one really knows why, but it could have something to do with more TV and movies about the sport such as ‘Free Solo’ (2018).

© Getty Images

Why should you do it? - There are a multitude of mental and physical benefits to rock climbing. In short, it can only add to your quality of life. If you are looking for a new sport or hobby to take up, you should seriously consider climbing for the following reasons.

© Getty Images

Affordable - Firstly, in case you think it might be expensive, it's not. Climbing gyms are about the same price as normal gyms. Outdoor climbing is never that expensive either, because you do not need much equipment.

© Getty Images

Workout - If you cannot be bothered to create a whole gym routine, nor have the patience to carry it out, rock climbing is for you. As you climb, your arms and legs are under serious strain, your core is tensed, and even your fingers build strength.

© Getty Images

Flexibility - When you climb, you often have to reach far away from your body. This causes your muscles to stretch and become more flexible over time.

© Getty Images

Stamina and endurance -

You are in a climb or fall situation, so you will often find yourself pushing harder than you usually would. This is the way you build endurance and stamina, so all you have to do is keep going and you’ll become a superhuman in no time.

© Getty Images

Calorie burn - Those sweet words ring true in this case. The average man burns 899 calories, and women 774 calories, per hour of climbing. It's more than a run, and perhaps even more than a gym session.

© Getty Images

Balance - Your whole body is clinging to a few points on a wall, so you have to learn to distribute your weight well. Through climbing, you will learn better control over your muscles, and so become more balanced.

© Getty Images

Cardio fitness - Climbing is a sweaty business. As your muscles work harder, they need more oxygen, thus making you breathe more frequently. It ends up being an anaerobic workout, which improves your fitness.

© Getty Images

Low impact - Despite all these awesome benefits, compared to other activities, such as running and weight lifting, climbing is pretty low impact. It is the sustained tensing rather than quick bursts, and the fact that you are climbing upwards, that makes it light on your body.

© Getty Images

Focus - If you do not want to fall, you have to use all your brainpower to figure out your path. The need to concentrate on one thing is good for the mind because it improves your ability to focus.

© Getty Images

Meditation - Often, when you are on the wall, you become so focused on the climb that you go into a meditative state. The world outside melts away and there is only you and the wall. This meditation has many mental health benefits.

© Getty Images

Stress relief - As with any exercise, it combats those evil stress hormones and gets endorphins pumping through your system. The combination of mental focus and chemical change means rock climbing can really help to alleviate stress.

© Getty Images

Challenge yourself - It is easy to get addicted to rock climbing because people always want to get that little bit better. As soon as you conquer a specific route, the next one is available straight away. Even those who are not competitive will probably become ambitious climbers.

© Getty Images

Problem solving - Climbing is a psychological game as well as a physical one. When you're on the wall you have to determine the rocks to take, where to put your feet, and so on. It is a puzzle game that improves your problem-solving capabilities.

© Getty Images

Confidence - By setting small goals in the shape of finishing a certain route or reaching a difficulty level, you feel like a success every time you go climbing. It does not always happen, but often climbing makes you feel confident in your body and your mind.

© Getty Images

Perspective change -

Whether you are training in a gym or on a mountain, your perspective on the world changes. All your problems lie on the earth, but you can climb above them. The change helps you to see things from another angle, literally and theoretically.

© Getty Images

Community -

The climbing community is one of the most welcoming sports communities you can join. If you go every week, you’ll have climbing buddies up for a beer in no time!

© Getty Images

Communication - It's normal to climb in teams because the other person(s) can see things you do not. You have to learn to communicate with them without ambiguity. Learning to speak clearly is an important thing to practice, and climbing gives you the opportunity.

© Getty Images

Trust -

© NL Beeld

Non-seasonal -

© NL Beeld

Timeless -

Due to its low-impact nature, climbing is an easy sport to do until you are much older. Your muscles stay supple, and your mind sharp. Perhaps just stick to the low climbs if you are in your seventies though.

© Getty Images

Fun! - On top of all these benefits, rock climbing is just really fun. You kind of feel like a kid again, bouncing around on mats, scaling up heights. It is a great way to just let loose.

© Getty Images

Reconnect with nature -

If you are in a gym, then this does not apply. However, if you climb in nature, you will see sights that you could never have seen without climbing. It brings you out into the environment as no other sport does.

© Getty Images

Depression -

Researchers ran a study to test whether rock climbing could help with depression. They found that after eight weeks, participants reported feeling the symptoms of depression less.

© Getty Images

Conquer your fear of heights -

For those of you out there who are afraid of heights, rock climbing is a great way to overcome your fear. You can start a little bit at a time and, if you fall, there is a big mattress waiting to cushion you.

Sources: (Cool of the Wild) (Time)

See also: Best mountains for climbing beginners

© Getty Images