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Mental Benefits: How Climbing Feeds Your Brain

When you tackle a challenging new course (or revisit an old one), you’re working out your body and your brain at the same time. Here are just a few of the mental advantages you’ll enjoy:

• Banish Boredom
  If you get bored out of your mind jogging around your block (or even worse, pounding it out on the treadmill), you’ll love the mental stimulation and challenge of climbing. Each time you climb, you’ll have to engage in problem-solving (just where are you going to put your foot next?) and mind-body connection. It’s also an ongoing competition with yourself as you aim to improve your performance. Climbing is fun and challenging. 
• Reduce Symptoms of Depression
  The mental aspects of climbing, such as decision-making, planning, and focus, can improve overall mental function. Studies have shown that climbing reduces the symptoms of depression, improves coping skills, and reduces anxiety even more than other kinds of physical activity. Researchers speculate that climbers enjoy these benefits because climbing requires increased mental focus. Participants feel more in control of their outcomes as they work their way through the challenges of the climb.
• Overcome Your Fear of Failure
  Worried about an upcoming project or test? Afraid you might make a fool of yourself in front of your peers or make a mistake in your career? Climbing can help with that. Everyone fears falling the first few times they tackle a wall, but sometimes it pays to just get it out of the way. Because you are in a safe environment, falling can be a learning experience rather than a catastrophic failure. As you overcome that fear, you’ll be willing to try new strategies, take risks, and challenge yourself.