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I love doing bouldering. It has the benefit of being both a physical and mental challenge. It's no coincidence that climbing routes are called "problems" and ma

by bilalq 9y ago

I love doing bouldering. It has the benefit of being both a physical and mental challenge. It's no coincidence that climbing routes are called "problems" and making it to the top is referred to as "solving the problem". Look around and see if you can find a climbing gym near you. They often have a decked out set of free-weights and bars as well for any other workouts you may want, so you can get away without needing a regular gym membership too.

nilkn 9y ago
I recommend this as well. The bouldering community is also great. It's really easy to make friends and people are incredibly helpful. It's really cool to see really experienced climbers go out of their way to give tips and help someone who's struggling with even the easiest problems. And if you're tired and want to take a break, you can watch other climbers approach problems and learn from them. I will say that as someone with moderate to severe social anxiety it was tough for me to get into at first, since some bouldering gyms get pretty busy and crowds will actually form as folks wait for their turn to try a problem. But realizing how nice people are helped me break through that barrier and stop caring.
Vinnl 9y ago
Same here, and the advantage is tha many of my friends do so too, so I get to see them regularly as well. And we can do that because bouldering is very tolerant to differing skill levels. That said, it's a rather specific type of exercise, so I go running as well to keep it varied.
zelos 9y ago
I'd second this, but I'd add: 1) Be careful. Don't overdo it, make sure to warm up properly and don't push too fast up the grades. I ended up having shoulder surgery and 8 months of physio. 2) I found to really get the most from bouldering you need to do some cardio exercise as well. Cycling is a pretty good low-impact option.
etrautmann 9y ago
awesome idea but don't ramp too quickly! It's much faster to build muscle than tendons or ligaments, new climbers will often get injured a few months after going 0 to 60. Make sure to do a few pushups and extensor exercises to stay balanced, since climbing doesn't naturally do that.

by bilalq 9y ago

nilkn 9y ago

I recommend this as well. The bouldering community is also great. It's really easy to make friends and people are incredibly helpful. It's really cool to see really experienced climbers go out of their way to give tips and help someone who's struggling with even the easiest problems. And if you're tired and want to take a break, you can watch other climbers approach problems and learn from them. I will say that as someone with moderate to severe social anxiety it was tough for me to get into at first, since some bouldering gyms get pretty busy and crowds will actually form as folks wait for their turn to try a problem. But realizing how nice people are helped me break through that barrier and stop caring.

Vinnl 9y ago

Same here, and the advantage is tha many of my friends do so too, so I get to see them regularly as well. And we can do that because bouldering is very tolerant to differing skill levels. That said, it's a rather specific type of exercise, so I go running as well to keep it varied.

zelos 9y ago

I'd second this, but I'd add: 1) Be careful. Don't overdo it, make sure to warm up properly and don't push too fast up the grades. I ended up having shoulder surgery and 8 months of physio. 2) I found to really get the most from bouldering you need to do some cardio exercise as well. Cycling is a pretty good low-impact option.

etrautmann 9y ago

awesome idea but don't ramp too quickly! It's much faster to build muscle than tendons or ligaments, new climbers will often get injured a few months after going 0 to 60. Make sure to do a few pushups and extensor exercises to stay balanced, since climbing doesn't naturally do that.