Rock Climbing: A Growing Fitness Trend

If scrambling over boulders, climbing walls, and reaching new heights is your idea of a good time, then rock climbing may be your next sport.  Rock climbing gyms, classes, and groups are springing up all over. Whether you live in the city or country, mountains or desert, you can be a part of this fun and growing trend.

Rock climbing is getting a lot of attention as the latest fitness craze, but it's actually been considered a sport for centuries. New and safer equipment and a renewed interest in the great outdoors mean more people are gearing up, joining climbing gyms and rediscovering the joy of rocks. Rock climbing is nothing short of adventurous, making it perfect for thrill seekers, extreme sports enthusiasts, and anyone looking for one heck of a total-body workout.

Why do people rock climb? 

It's fun and challenging.  It offers a sense of community as climbers work together to create a safe experience and achieve their goal.  Outdoor climbing offers a way to explore nature, enjoy fresh air and sunshine, and scale heights in a truly unique and hands-on adventure.  It provides functional strength, cardio, balance, and flexibility training.  It requires problem solving and high level concentration to puzzle out the best strategies for tackling a climbing route.

Where do you start?

Rock climbing beginners should learn the ropes at an indoor climbing gym or on a climbing wall with plenty of padding on the ground.  Safety is crucial with this sport as mistakes can cause critical injuries.  Find a certified rock-climbing instructor to teach you about basic equipment, holds, climbing techniques, and to provide safe back-up to prevent falls.  Classes are available at gyms all over the world. 

Instructors teach you how to inspect your gear, buckles, harnesses, and ropes and where to place your feet and hands on pre-determined holds.  You'll study the basics of top-roping (a rope is threaded through a pre-set anchor at the top of a climbing route, then attached to a climber's harness) and how to belay a climbing partner (by holding a rope and applying tension to prevent your partner from falling too far). 

Once you've mastered beginner's techniques, you're ready to join an outdoor climbing group.  There are a variety of climbing styles to explore in all kinds of natural settings, including bouldering, scrambling, mountain climbing, ice climbing and competitive climbing.  You can go as far as you want with this indoor-outdoor sport, but never go it alone.  Always climb with an experienced partner. The sense of accomplishment climbers feel when they reach the top is a major motivator, but serious climbers will tell you, "It's not the summit, it's the climb."

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Age-Appropriate Exercise Classes: A Growing Trend

Even when classes are advertised as appropriate for "all levels," instructors and students know that's not always accurate information.  That's why fitness centers are now tailoring classes to fit the needs of specific demographics.  Age-appropriate exercise classes are gaining ground and bringing people back to the gym.

If you've ever been the beginner in a fast-paced spinning or dance class only to find yourself lagging behind and over your head, you know how discouraging that can be. It's even more uncomfortable if you're the oldest or youngest in the class.  Many people give up after the first class due to embarrassment and frustration.  Some people "age out" of their aerobics, circuit training, or step classes when the music gets too young or too old for them.  Or, they get bored when their class is too slow-paced, light-weight, and better suited for another age and fitness bracket. And where do you put the kids?  As America faces its childhood obesity epidemic, fitness clubs realize that classes for children are fundamentally different than classes aimed at adults.

These are just some of the problems the fitness industry faced at the end the 1990s and early 2000s. People were leaving their gym memberships behind in droves. They complainined that they were burned out on "group classes," but market research revealed people were just tired of working out with the wrong group.  Fitness centers faced up to the fact that different demographics have different fitness needs and desires, and if they were going to keep their doors open, they'd better meet those needs.

Check in with most gyms today and you'll find age appropriate exercise classes designed specifically for seniors and children, but also a wider variety of classes targeting adults in their 20s through 50's.  Rock climbing and cardio-boxing are designed to appeal to the 20 and 30-somethings (though all ages are welcome) while Zumba seems to appeal more to 30 and 40-something women.  SilverSneakers® classes are customized for the over-60 and specifically focused on flexibility, balance, and strength training along with aerobics. There are yoga classes for children, pregnant mothers, people recovering from illness and back pain, seniors and more.  There are strength training classes for people with special needs and aerobics classes for people who live in wheelchairs. You name it; you can find a  class that fits your needs.

How do you find the right class for you? Ask your friends and do some online research before you commit to a gym membership.  Check the class schedule and descriptions.  Then, make an appointment for a gym tour and try out a few different group classes.  Don't get discouraged if a class is too challenging.  Sometimes, all it takes is a little time and before you know it, you just may be at the head of the class.

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