For most top athletes chasing scholarships or dedicated enough to try and go semi-pro or pro, cross-training in the off-season is imperative to keeping fit and not backsliding on your conditioning. Many athletes—including swimmers, gymnasts, wrestling, and other seasonal sports- may take up other activities that lend to their respective activities.

A great and fun way for folks to maintain fitness is rock climbing. Why climbing? Because it is a total body sport that requires only an essential investment—minimum a pair of rock climbing-specific shoes made with rubber that helps stick to the rock and maybe a chalk bag or bucket if your hands get sweaty. It is also an activity that can be done inside urban gyms or seasonally on natural rock outdoors.

Why is Rock Climbing a Great Way to Keep in Shape

Most people assume that rock climbing involves primarily upper body strength, but it is a full-body workout. The best climbers in the world do not just have a solid upper body—they need leg strength, core strength, and even balance and agility.

Leg and core strength is significant for climbers. Why? Because climbing involves hanging on your fingertips, which puts stress on the finger tendons and can cause issues with tendonitis if your fingers are not strong enough for the grades you are pushing. Good footwork is essential for climbers to take the stress off of the fingers and upper body. 

Why Joining a Climbing Team or Bouldering Team is Advantageous for Cross-Training

Joining a climbing team is a great way to stay in shape while adopting a new fitness activity. The climbing community that a good gym provides is also a great way to meet other athletic individuals with similar fitness goals and interests. Whether you are into competitive climbing teams or just want a low-commitment club, the indoor climbing gym can facilitate this.

A fun fact is that some of the world’s best climbers were athletes in other sports that translated well into climbing. For example, Margo Hayes is a world-renowned climber who trained for years in Boulder, CO as a gymnast. She found her love of climbing through the Team ABC climbing program in Boulder and fell in love with the sport. You may or may not know, but Margo went on to send some of Chris Sharma’s most challenging sport climbing routes in Spain—becoming the first woman to send the 5-15 grade.

The Rock Climbing Gym is a Great Place for Youth Climbing Instruction

Climbing is an individual and team sport—now it is even an official Olympic sport! If your kids are athletic and interested in rock climbing for cross-training, they might find they can excel at the sport. Rock climbing is not just a sport for adrenaline junkies; proper instruction teaches the fundamentals of how to stay safe on the rocks and helps climbers dial in the right systems when it comes to the safety gear used to scale walls.

A gym can provide a safe and controlled environment for youth climbing instruction, so enrolling your child in a youth climbing team will ensure that they learn from experienced climbers who can show them the ropes correctly. As an added bonus for children, youth participation in an official climbing program can be a substitute PE requirement.

Interested in Climbing Instruction or Seeing What Your Local Climbing Gym Has to Offer?

If you want to learn to climb for cross-training and live in the Great DC/Northern Virginia area, Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness offers climbing instruction for youth and adults. The bouldering gym in Tysons Corner is perfect for bouldering teams while the Manassas gym caters to folks who prefer ropes (this can be great for homeschooled children!).

Want to learn more about what Vertical Rock and the climbing community has to offer? Visit our website or drop by one of our gyms for a tour. Our staff can answer any questions you might have. Most of our employees trained in the youth community as members of youth climbing teams. Because of this, we offer a higher level of youth instruction, starting with toddlers and up to age 18.