Climbing uses lots of large muscle groups in the upper and lower body. The simultaneous contraction of multiple muscle groups while balancing and ascending produces an extraordinary toll on calories expended.
Immediate Benefits
Unlike resistance training and strength conditioning, cardiovascular conditioning via hill climbing promotes immediate benefits in as little as one session. When participants practice hill climbing on regular intervals, resting heart rate immediately decreases, aerobic enzymes increase, blood glucose stabilizes and air exchange between our lungs and the environment improves in efficiency.
Mental Health
Climbing offers a wealth of health benefits that are not just physical. It improves your self esteem, mental agility and self awareness. It’s a great stress-buster and a full body workout, so it’s good for general wellbeing.
Climbing requires a lot of problem solving, mental concentration and focus, so it helps sharpen your brain. A lot of people like it as it allows you to escape everyday worries and just focus on the climb. It also can give a great sense of achievement.
Being in Nature
Nature can help decrease your anxiety levels and can help lessen stress and feelings of anger. Exercise can also help this, but it's even better when you're outside. Regular access to green spaces has been linked to lower risks of depression and improved concentration and attention. The harmful effects from disconnection with nature – sometimes called ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ - are increasingly recognized by the scientific community.
- People who live near parks, hills and green spaces have less mental distress, are more physically active, and have longer life spans.
- Exposure to nature may decrease death from chronic disease.
- When people exercise outdoors in nature, they do so for longer periods of time and at greater intensities.
- Positive health effects of socializing in nature are phenomenal
