Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport that can often be accompanied by painful experiences. The hands and feet are subject to significant moment arms through their slender tissues, while the forearms regularly experience painfully high levels of ischemia¹. Despite this familiarity with pain, rock climbing's popularity has been on the rise [...]
My training plan used to look something like a form of aerobic warm up, climb as hard as I could with a little climbing skill practice sprinkled in and finish with an ab and pull up workout until I was completely gassed and groaning on the ground from muscle pain. Thanks to my no [...]
Visualization and mental practice can significantly enhance climbing performance, tapping into the brain’s ability to reinforce neural pathways that contribute to motor learning, skill acquisition, and even movement precision. For climbers, mental imagery is more than just “seeing” the next move; it's a comprehensive tool that strengthens your mind-body connection, allowing you to [...]
You’ve always been more flexible than those around you, maybe you grew up being referred to as “double-jointed”, you’ve got a mean hitch-hiker's thumb, and most of those “difficult” yoga poses are actually fairly easy. As a rock climber you use this to your advantage by favoring high steps, full-crimping most hold types, and [...]
Although not often thought about, major amputations may occur from any outdoor recreational activities such as rock climbing. With any sport, there are risks; however, with rock climbing, a single mistake, or even being at the wrong place at the wrong time, may cost one’s limb. Whether it be from a traumatic accident, frostbite, [...]
You are finally at the end of your training cycle, months, or multiple weeks of weights, hangboarding and a lot of board climbing. You are ready to start the new season and start projecting the line you were dreaming of. But, unfortunately during the last few weeks, your fingers were feeling sore and [...]
Physical therapists who work with climbers have likely heard or experienced some version of this story: Your patient, a climber, has spent several weeks rehabbing a shoulder injury with your guidance. The progression through the plan of care has been emotional. Some days are positive and some days your patient feels like they will [...]
When I found rock climbing, let me tell you I fell in love. This sport and the community it provides is something I recommend to everyone. Sometimes when I do recommend it, I get told by others that they don’t want to destroy their bodies or get arthritis in the next 5 years. I [...]
The passion for climbing leads us to admire and venerate the lumbrical muscles. But in this human physical story, there's an equally vital and fascinating supporting actor: tendons. This connective tissue, often sidelined in comparison to muscles, plays a crucial role in our ability to perform various movements, whether static or dynamic, allowing [...]
Most of us climb because we love it. Maybe it’s the peace that we get from being out in nature. Or the joy of using our bodies to do strenuous moves elegantly. Or the strong sense of belonging we get from being part of the climbing community. The fact is that for most [...]