How Does Rock Climbing Improve Your Fitness

So how does rock climbing improve your fitness? Well, there are many ways rock climbing improves fitness and it starts with a complete body workout. Anyone who does rock climbing knows that it is not only a great adrenaline rush, but when you climb, you use every single muscle in the body.

Rock climbing isn’t for those faint at heart. It takes determination, perseverance and great upper body strength to be good at this sport. It also takes a good amount of athleticism. Read the following guidelines to discover how rock climbing improves your fitness.

1. It takes enormous strength to pull your entire body weight up a mountain. You are also fighting the elements of gravity. Therefore having strong core muscles are also important when rock climbing. If you are trying to build a six-pack, rock climbing will get you one.
   
2. The legs are also very important when climbing up the mountain. Your legs help to support your weight when you are climbing. They also help to stabilize your body from swaying side to side. Your legs help to keep you on the structure you are climbing. Your legs also help you push off and lift you upward to reach higher ground.
   
3. Your arms and upper body will get an excellent workout. Not only do you have to lift your entire bodyweight, but you also have to keep your upper body centered. Your arms, trapezius muscles, pecs, triceps, shoulder muscles and biceps are all working when you lift yourself upward.
   
4. Talk about an excellent way to burn calories. This fat blasting workout will force you use all major muscle groups in the body. When the bigger muscles are working, you are increasing your chances of burning maximum calories.
   
5. Since your body is working at maximum level, you will get an excellent cardiovascular workout as well as overall physical conditioning of the body. If you stick with this workout, you will shed pounds and be in great shape.

So the next time someone asks you, “How does rock climbing improve your fitness? You can answer their question by reiterating the tips provided. Not only will you get an excellent full body workout, but you will increase cardiovascular fitness and tighten and firm the entire body.
 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1724814/pdf/v038p00355.pdf