As the kids grow old and start developing an interest in sports, generally, rock climbing is not one of them. It is still believed by many that rock climbing is by far the most dangerous sport that is supposed to be played by the adult adventure seeking junkies rather than the little kids.
On the contrary, if we see the statistics, due to many safety checks and preparations, it is one of the safest sports when compared to any other sport. Rock climbing is becoming popular with the passing of time, and it is not a mere recreational activity anymore. It has developed into this elite game, and in fact, it will be included in the Tokyo Olympics of 2020.
This sudden increase in its demand and working can be attributed to the fact that it is now available in many places easily and is pretty safe. Apart from this, it is considered to be a whole lot of fun, and together with that, it has many physical, mental and social benefits for kids.
Benefits of Rock Climbing
1. Physical Development
Rock Climbing involves climbing on the bare rocks against the force of gravity. It is the most obvious benefit that your child would get while doing this activity.
It is one of the best total body workouts which include pulling, pushing as the motion of climbing works every part of the body.
With the passing of each grade, the benefits received by a child from rock climbing will continue to grow and would end up in building up the overall strength, endurance and flexibility.
2. Coordination of Hands, Feet and Eyes
Climbing up a wall needs proper coordination between the commands that the brain gives and the actions which the limbs do as against it. They always have to look, plan and finally, execute which helps them immensely in coordinating the different parts of the body.
3. Mental Development
Rock climbing has no specific straightjacket rules. There are more than one ways to ‘Conquer the Mountain’. There are constant planning and decision-making process that keeps on going on at par with the operation of climbing. It helps a child to develop his mental strength at a higher pace than usual.
4. Stress Relief
In this fast-paced sport, which involves a lot of critical thinking, a child is supposed to wash all his worries away and focus on this single sport of climbing. This clears the child’s head, and he is ready to concentrate on the task at hand of climbing.
This involves breaking a sweat and scientifically speaking; it releases the bad hormones which make you feel happy from the inside. It is a form of meditation, where children are completely lost in the present moment and forget all the worries that they might have. After the session, the child is reenergized both mentally and physically.
5. Confidence and Self Esteem
Reaching to the top gives a feeling of success and achievement. Rock climbing is not a child’s play, but once it is done, immense pleasure is derived from the same which generates confidence in a child.
It helps them in overcoming their fears and achieving the goal; they have confidence and a belief in themselves to handle the problems in other areas of life.
So, in a nutshell, activities like rock climb develop not only your child’s physical strength but also the mental strength and capacity to do more in a short run.
