Have you ever considered practicing a different physical activity from the traditional ones? Outdoor sports can be a great alternative for those looking to keep their body and health in order and, in addition, want to enjoy leisure time in the midst of nature.
For this, climbing is a great way! It is a complete sport that uses full body limbs. Great for toning muscles, it also helps you lose weight, eliminates tension and the best: all enjoying beautiful scenery and knowing amazing places.
What is rock climbing?
Climbing is an extreme sport that uses mountaineering techniques and is mainly performed on rocky cliffs. In the activity, the practitioner uses his own limbs to climb rocks, climb blocks and mountains, and the technique requires a lot of strength and concentration.
There are several sports, such as indoor climbing, which is performed on an artificial wall that simulates rock climbing, or sports climbing, which consists of rock climbing. The sport presents different levels of difficulty and requires safety equipment. Basic equipment includes rubber-soled sports shoes, rope, seat, helmet and carabiners.
Benefits to body and mind
Ana Ligia Fujiwara has been rock climbing for over 10 years. She started climbing next to her husband and fell in love with the sport. Today, it has made him a "lifestyle" as his training, eating and stretching are done daily with a view to improving his performance in sports.
For her, the benefits were numerous. Climbing helped her better cope with her limitations, such as fear of heights. This is because sports work on psychological aspects such as fear, concentration and attention? One must have strategic vision before making each move. Sport also helps to eliminate stress, bringing not only physical but also mental well-being.
Another big change that Ana Ligia noticed was in her body: as an adult, the climber discovered she had bipolar disorder. Did controlled medication make you gain weight? about 10kg over a year. It was then that Ana Ligia focused her energies on the sport, and climbing was crucial to keep her motivated to reverse the situation and return to her normal weight. I started to train ruled. Endurance training, running and diet. I don't know if climbing made me lose weight, but it sure gave me the motivation to lose weight. So, do I climb better and avoid injury?
Replaces bodybuilding
In addition to losing weight, Ana Ligia noticed many improvements in the body. "Climbing has toned my muscles, especially my arms and legs." The practice works as a bodybuilding, as it requires strength and conditioning of the athlete, but because it is a very dynamic activity, can be much more fun. Do exercises increase strength and use muscles throughout the body, especially those of the upper and lower limbs, dorsal and abdominal? fundamental to balance.
And the benefits don't stop there: climbing still improves the practitioner's flexibility, motor coordination, balance and body awareness. In addition, does the activity have a good caloric expenditure? about 700 calories per hour of training, a similar expense to running.
Different modalities
The sport has different modalities and you can choose the one that best fits your profile. Inspired by rock climbing, indoor rock climbing is one of the options. It is generally practiced indoors, such as gyms or gyms, on artificial walls mounted with different levels of difficulty. According to Ana Ligia, one of the advantages of this type of climbing is that, generally, the environment is controlled. If the wall is covered, there is the advantage that it can climb with rain, for example.
It is also possible to practice rock climbing. For Ana Ligia, the great advantage is the contact with nature. But, there is also the downside. "In rock climbing, you have to adapt to the environment: height, type of rock, sun or shade and the difficulties of each route," he explains.
Climbing for everyone
Did you get excited about the sport? The good news is that rock climbing is a very democratic activity: men and women can practice and there is no age limitation. This is because there are routes with different levels of difficulty for both beginners and experienced climbers. Because it is a low impact exercise, it also poses no risks to the joints.
For those who want to start in the sport, today there are schools and gyms that have walls for indoor training and offer courses. For those just starting out, the ideal is to take a course and always climb with more experienced people.In the course, you learn about equipment, safety, understand the risks and the importance of respecting your limits ?, recommends Ana Ligia. Another suggestion of the climber is to look for climbing groups in your city. She maintains a website on the subject, where you can get other information.
Remember: For your safety, it is essential to always be accompanied by a professional and properly use safety equipment such as helmet, ropes and carabiners.
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