Now that winter’s over, it’s time to find activities that don’t require snow and ice. This spring, why not try out a new activity, like bouldering?
Until recently, I had never even heard of bouldering. People described it to me like this: it’s similar to rock climbing, except without the crazy heights and no harness. It’s also cheaper, which is always a plus. Here are 7 reasons why bouldering is a great activity to try this spring.
1. Do you get bored of your gym routine? You won’t with bouldering. Each gym has sets of problems (different routes to climb) which get changed up every so often. This ensures that you never get bored when you go bouldering. The problems are each different lengths, organized by difficulty. Everyone will have options, from us beginners to people who have been at it for years.
2. If you used to love climbing the monkey bars, you’ll be able to relive your childhood at the climbing gym. After all, going to a bouldering gym is basically like going to a giant playground. Except this time, it’s made for adults – and the floor is covered with mats so that falling doesn’t hurt! Let your inner child free.
3. It works muscles that you didn’t even know existed. Going bouldering allows you to work out different parts of your body, which is important to ensure that you don’t plateau.
4. You can go with your friends. Unlike going to the gym (where, let’s face it, you don’t normally spend more than an hour), going to the bouldering gym will often last two to three hours. You try a problem, take a break, talk with your friends, and try again. Everyone works together to figure out how to accomplish the problems, with several people attempting different techniques to solve the same route. There’s nothing like working together and getting excited about each other’s accomplishments.
5. It’s a confidence booster. Honestly, the first time I managed to pull myself up over the edge to top over, I felt so proud. At a certain point, as you’re climbing, you end up too far from the ground to give up and just drop back down. Instead, you get a rush of adrenaline, this determination to keep going, and it feels amazing. Once you finish the problem you’ll immediately start thinking of the next one to try.
6. You work out your arms. Personally, I’ve never really thought any of those arm workouts were all that engaging. Consequently, I’ve avoided them because I wasn’t interested in sitting there for them. Bouldering uses all the muscles in your arms, and you’ll start strengthening them without even thinking about it. A lot of the time, I even end up wanting to keep climbing when my arms have already given up because it’s just so much fun.
7. It’s a judgement-free environment. When you’re at the bouldering gym, there isn’t the tense atmosphere that you find at the gym. Plus, you aren’t surrounded by mirrors. When you’re climbing, you’re not rushing to finish things, or counting your reps. Face it: it’s more fun to yell victory at the top of the wall than to grunt under a barbell.
Hopefully I’ve convinced you to try bouldering! It’s a lot of fun and I highly recommend you try it at least once if you haven’t already. The gym I personally prefer for beginners in Ottawa is Coyote Rock Gym– their beginner problems are great for your first time, and their mats make your fall really comfortable.
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