What do you think when you hear the word bouldering? Do you think about a giant rock, maybe something to do with mining or even old Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill for eternity? Regardless we doubt anything you imagined captures the full scope of benefits that this exhilarating activity has to offer!

Now some of you may or may not be familiar with bouldering already. The activity is at fairly low heights, around 3-4 metres, without any ropes of protective equipment. With only a crash pad to break your fall you may be a little scared. It can occur inside or outdoors but either way is an excellent form of exercise providing a range of mental physical and social benefits.

So why get into bouldering as a woman? Well apart from its recent addition into the Olympics it’s a sport that has a very lower gender gap. Although historically a male dominated sport, there’s been steady increase of female uptake over the last 20+ years (1), but especially in the last decade the gap has really been bridged. When considering that climbing involves a range of different skills, flexibility, strength, technique, it can be easier to see why.  

1 to 1 with a local Climber

To explore this topic better we talked to Tara, a 21-year-old Perth woman who’s been climbing for approximately 2 years. She originally got into bouldering after some friends invited her to try it, and  soon after found a bouldering gym close to her house. Since then, she’s been climbing almost non-stop. We sat down to talk about what climbing had done for her, and why she found it so positive. We started by talking about her favourite parts of the activity, which she was excited to share with us.

“I love the achievement aspect of climbing, and that there’s a definitive way to keep track of your progress by going up in the grades. It’s very rewarding to get a climb that you’ve been working on for a while, or one that you know a couple weeks/months ago you wouldn’t have been able to get. I also love the community and the friendships I’ve made through it. Since I’ve started there’s been quite a few friends that I’ve introduced to the sport and its rewarding to see the improve and enjoy themselves., It’s great to have an activity to do together that’s not just sitting and talking but is also not so encompassing that you don’t get to talk to them at all.”

She went on to explain some common misconceptions shed noticed about the sport,

“[people think] you need a lot of upper body strength and I think that drives a lot of girls away from the sport. You don’t even need to be able to do a chin up!”

Curious to know more about how climbing had influenced her day to day life we asked her if she thought climbing had any specific positive impacts on her life. Her answer was not only fascinating but powerful.  

“I have quite a lot of anxiety in my day to day life., I think bouldering has definitely helped with this as I can go to that gym for a couple hours and nothing else is really on my mind, which helps me stay in the moment a lot more, which reduces my anxiety. Part of my anxiety is having a lot of anxious energy that gets built up in my body, and I find climbing really helps me get rid of that feeling and that also puts me in a better headspace. It helps that most of the time I am going with friends, so it’s a positive experience that I get to look forward to, instead of thinking about work, university or whatever is making me anxious”

Another intriguing area of bouldering we discussed was the social impacts of climbing and the strong sense of community around many climbing gyms or groups. Everyone’s experience here is different but Tara had been acutely aware of the social impacts.

“Almost all of my closest relationships have been strengthened by bouldering. Of course, it’s not for everyone but I think you get to know someone in a way you wouldn’t expect when you project a climb with them or see them go through the process of finally getting to the top of a climb that was really challenging for them. The community at all the gyms I’ve been to is also very welcoming, it’s very common for strangers or people you barely know to come up to you while you’re climbing and chat with you about the climb/climbing in general.”

She rounded out our discussion with some encouraging advice for anyone considering getting into the sport.

“If you’re unsure/nervous about giving it a go, I would highly recommend going with a friend/friends who have done it before., I imagine if you walked in by yourself and saw the gym it would be a little intimidating”

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Why is bouldering good for you?

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Mental benefits  

Like most exercise bouldering offers a range of mental health benefits. Some studies suggest that the unique social and cognitive aspects of bouldering offers a lot more benefit than most! (5) Bouldering is well known to help alleviate symptoms of depression. A good example is through the high levels of focus required while climbing, which helps many to fight ‘thought rumination’ one of the more prevalent symptoms of depression (2). There are now some studies suggesting it may go even further, A study from Germany finding evidence suggesting bouldering can enhance the results of other treatments, like medication and counselling on the treatment of depression5.  

Anxiety is key mental health condition bouldering can help with, specifically through bouldering’s psycho-physical elements. When compared with traditional full body exercise routines, bouldering was found to significantly decrease anxiety and increase physical fitness and mood! (3)  

One of the more fascinating outcomes of bouldering relates to your active memory, and the positive effects this can have later in life. A research was conducted to suggest that the spatial awareness involved in strategizing your next moves and using a range of body muscles groups helps to improve active memory, which in turn benefits problem solving ability, memory and concentration (6) all of which can slow age related mental decline, like dementia and in certain situations even Alzheimer’s!

Physical benefits

Bouldering is an intense full body workout, so it should be no surprise how good it can be for someone’s cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health (7). A good climber will combine their strength, endurance and flexibility when bouldering. In terms of being a good cardiovascular exercise there has even been research suggesting the sport can increases your bodies oxygen consumption and heart rate, systems which when worked out can improve overall wellbeing (7). Similarly, it can help prevent heart disease, diabetes along with high blood pressure and cholesterol.  

Social Benefits

It is a sport that lends itself to being social, with people constantly giving advice for finishing climbs and helping direct people on the wall. Bouldering is according to many one of the most friendly and welcoming communities they have ever been a part of! More so these opportunities for social interaction can help with social integration skills and feelings of self-efficacy. (4)  

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Bouldering in WA  

Need another reason to get into bouldering?  Western Australia, or even Australia overall, has a plethora of amazing bouldering locations to offer. In the southwest region of WA for example, there are a huge number of ‘hidden gem’ locations on offer!  

Blessed with granite outcrops that are ideal for bouldering, the WA southeast, especially around Albany, offers a vast array of beautiful bouldering locations that’ll reward climbers with spectacular views. Bluff knoll is a great example. Well known for it’s hiking, however on the opposite side around Ellen Peak there’s actually some fantastic climbing spots! Although outdoor bouldering is a bit riskier and requires a bit more preparation and expertise  

compared to indoor it is a great activity to work towards, or to attempt with more experienced climbers to guide you. With a bit of practice under your belt it would be an amazing way to appreciate the unique landscapes Australia has to offer! So, what are you waiting for, have a google for yourself and you’ll see how many spots we have to offer, just make sure to check they aren’t sites of aboriginal significance!

References

1. Eaton, M. (2017, November 10). Women Crushers! Is there a Gender Gap in climbing?  Mountain Equipment. https://mountainequipment.com/blogs/mountain-equipment-blog/women-crushers-is-there-a-gender-gap-in-climbing

2. Fetters, A. K. (2014, September 12). The Fast Route to a Rock-Hard Body. Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19941443/rock-climbing/

3. Gallotta, M. C., Emerenziani, G. P., Monteiro, M. D., Iasevoli, L., Iazzoni, S., Baldari, C., & Guidetti, L. (2015). Psychophysical Benefits of Rock-Climbing Activity. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 121(3), 675–689. https://doi.org/10.2466/30.PMS.121c26x9

4. Karg, N., Dorscht, L., Kornhuber. (2019, August). Bouldering psychotherapy is more effective in the treatment of depression than physical exercise alone: results of a multicentre randomised controlled intervention study. BMC Psychiatry 20, 116 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02518-  

5. Luttenbergera, K., Kornhubera, J., Hofner, B., Graessel, E., Book, S., & Stelzer, E.-M. (2017, July). Bouldering psychotherapy reduces depressive symptoms even when general physical activity is controlled for: A randomized controlled trial. Science Direct.

6. Norris, J. (2015, July 29). UNF - Media Relations - UNF Researchers Reveal Climbing a Tree Can Improve Cognitive Skills. UNF Researchers Reveal Climbing a Tree Can Improve Cognitive Skills. https://www.unf.edu/publicrelations/media_relations/press/2015/UNF_Researchers_Reveal_Climbing_a_Tree_Can_Improve_Cognitive_Skills.aspx

7. Sheel AW. (2004). Physiology of sport rock climbing,. British Journal of Sports Medicine; https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/38/3/355

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