Maybe you’re trying new things as a family or encouraging your kids to get more active. Regardless of the reasons, finding a family fitness activity everyone enjoys can be a wonderful way for you all to bond while staying healthy.

Something that you’ll want to keep in the back of your mind is whether the activity is fun and engaging enough to keep your children interested. Climbing gyms have become increasingly common across the US since the sport has become more mainstream—Alex Honnold went from unknown outside of the climbing community to a household name over night and the sport is now an officially recognized Olympic event. Rock climbing could be the perfect fitness activity to share with you and your children. And—there are many reasons why climbing is a smart choice.

Rock Climbing is a Total Body Workout

One of the reasons that rock climbing is a smart thing to incorporate into a fitness routine is that it works your whole body. While most non-climbers might assume that climbing involves a lot of pulling yourself up the wall, that assumption is false. 

While finger and upper body strength are important, experienced climbers know the importance of a strong core for better tension on the wall and your legs to help take the load off your fingers, forearms, and shoulders. You’ll find that if you try to pull yourself (campus) up the wall, you’ll get tired quickly. A good climber uses their legs to their advantage and dials in footwork to climb as efficiently as possible.

Climbing is a Group Activity Appropriate for All Ages and Experience Levels

Anyone can rock climbing and experience level can vary across your group. Whether you’re bouldering or on the ropes, gyms and outdoor crags often have options for everyone. This makes it easy to keep everyone in the group happy and climbing together.

Children of all ages can thrive in the climbing gym. Building climbing strength from an early age will give your kids an advantage if they decide they like the sport and want to stick with it. The gym environment caters to all age ranges, and it can also be a fantastic way to introduce your kids to outdoor climbing. Vertical Rock offers programs to safely teach new climbers the skills they need to transition from gym to outdoor crag.

Rock Climbing Gyms are Fitness Facilities

If you’re looking for a fitness facility, the climbing gym really does have it all. Cross training is an aspect of climbing training that most people do not think about until they join a gym. From yoga to Pilates to general cardio and weightlifting sessions, bundling your fitness needs under one roof is cost effective and climbing gyms tend to consolidate classes and amenities under one membership.

Climbing is Fun—Prove Us Wrong!

Above all the benefits listed above, the number one reason to sign your family up for climbing gym memberships is that climbing is fun. It really is. But don’t take our word for it, drop by Vertical Rock Climbing & Fitness and check out our fitness facility. Our staff can give you a tour and answer any questions you may have.