ROCK CLIMBING AS A HEALTH-PROMOTING ACTIVITY: BENEFITS AND RISKS ACROSS POPULATIONS
Abstract
Rock climbing has been steadily gaining popularity worldwide, particularly after its inclusion in the Olympic Games in 2020. As a physically and mentally demanding activity, it uniquely combines strength, endurance, balance, coordination, and problem-solving. This review aims to explore the physical and mental health benefits of recreational rock climbing, with a focus on outdoor settings, as well as the associated risk of injury. Current evidence indicates that climbing can enhance muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition, especially among youth and young adults. Additionally, it has been linked to psychological benefits such as improved mood, stress relief, and greater overall well-being. Outdoor climbing, in particular, is associated with higher levels of enjoyment and satisfaction compared to indoor activity, which may promote long-term participation. However, climbing also presents a risk of injury, particularly chronic overuse injuries in the upper limbs, with elite climbers experiencing higher injury rates. Despite these risks, the overall findings support the role of rock climbing as a multidimensional, health-promoting activity. Further research is needed to better understand injury prevention and the long-term health impacts of climbing across different populations.
References
Bull, F. C., Al-Ansari, S. S., Biddle, S., Borodulin, K., Buman, M. P., Cardon, G., Carty, C., Chaput, J. P., Chastin, S., Chou, R., Dempsey, P. C., DiPietro, L., Ekelund, U., Firth, J., Friedenreich, C. M., Garcia, L., Gichu, M., Jago, R., Katzmarzyk, P. T., ... Willumsen, J. F. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(24), 1451–1462. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955
Guthold, R., Stevens, G. A., Riley, L. M., & Bull, F. C. (2018). Worldwide trends in insufficient physical activity from 2001 to 2016: A pooled analysis of 358 population-based surveys with 1.9 million participants. The Lancet Global Health, 6(10), e1077–e1086. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30357-7
Li, L., Ru, A., Liao, T., Zou, S., Niu, X. H., & Wang, Y. T. (2018). Effects of rock climbing exercise on physical fitness among college students: A review article and meta-analysis. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 47(10), 1440–1452.
Baláš, J., Strejcová, B., Malý, T., Malá, L., & Martin, A. J. (2009). Changes in upper body strength and body composition after 8 weeks indoor climbing in youth. Isokinetics and Exercise Science, 17(3), 173–179. https://doi.org/10.3233/IES-2009-0350
Gaesser, G. A., & Angadi, S. S. (2021). Obesity treatment: Weight loss versus increasing fitness and physical activity for reducing health risks. iScience, 24(10), 102995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102995
Jones, G., Asghar, A., & Llewellyn, D. J. (2008). The epidemiology of rock-climbing injuries. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(9), 773–778. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2007.037978
Woollings, K. Y., McKay, C. D., Kang, J., Meeuwisse, W. H., & Emery, C. A. (2015). Incidence, mechanism and risk factors for injury in youth rock climbers. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(1), 44–50. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2014-094067
Lutter, C., Hotfiel, T., Tischer, T., Lenz, R., & Schöffl, V. (2019). Evaluation of rock climbing related injuries in older athletes. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 30(4), 362–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2019.06.008
Schweizer, A. (2001). Biomechanical properties of the crimp grip position in rock climbers. Journal of Biomechanics, 34(2), 217–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9290(00)00184-6
van Woudenberg, T. J., Bevelander, K. E., Burk, W. J., & Buijzen, M. (2020). The reciprocal effects of physical activity and happiness in adolescents. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 17, Article 147. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-01058-8
Chen, K., Sundaram, S., Lo, D. F., Gawash, A., Papachristou, C., & Raja, A. E. (2025). Scaling new heights: A prospective survey of rock climbing’s impact on mental health. Discover Mental Health, 5(1), Article 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00154-0
Gürer, H., Akçınar, F., Arslan, S. C., Akçınar, S., Güllü, M., Eken, Ö., Kurtoğlu, A., Ilkım, M., Alotaibi, M. H., & Elkholi, S. M. (2024). Evaluating the impact of rock climbing on mental health and emotional well-being in adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1426654. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1426654
Luttenberger, K., Stelzer, E. M., Först, S., Schopper, M., Kornhuber, J., & Book, S. (2015). Indoor rock climbing (bouldering) as a new treatment for depression: Study design of a waitlist-controlled randomized group pilot study and the first results. BMC Psychiatry, 15, Article 201. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-015-0585-8
Marczak, M., Ginszt, M., Gawda, P., Berger, M., & Majcher, P. (2018). Neurocognitive functioning of sport climbers. Journal of Human Kinetics, 65, 13–19. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2018-0036
Garrido-Palomino, I., Giles, D., Fryer, S., González-Montesinos, J. L., & España-Romero, V. (2024). Cognitive function of climbers: An exploratory study of working memory and climbing performance. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 27, e24. https://doi.org/10.1017/SJP.2024.25
Haines, M. S., Dichtel, L. E., Santoso, K., Torriani, M., Miller, K. K., & Bredella, M. A. (2020). Association between muscle mass and insulin sensitivity independent of detrimental adipose depots in young adults with overweight/obesity. International Journal of Obesity, 44(9), 1851–1858. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-020-0590-y
Siegel, S. R., & Fryer, S. M. (2015). Rock climbing for promoting physical activity in youth. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 11(3), 243–251. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827615592345
Lion, A., van der Zwaard, B. C., Remillieux, S., Perrin, P. P., & Buatois, S. (2016). Risk factors of hand climbing-related injuries. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 26(7), 739–744. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12505
Thompson Coon, J., Boddy, K., Stein, K., Whear, R., Barton, J., & Depledge, M. H. (2011). Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review. Environmental Science & Technology, 45(5), 1761–1772. https://doi.org/10.1021/es102947t
Eigenschenk, B., Thomann, A., McClure, M., Davies, L., Gregory, M., Dettweiler, U., & Inglés, E. (2019). Benefits of outdoor sports for society: A systematic literature review and reflections on evidence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(6), Article 937. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060937
Views:
58
Downloads:
44
Copyright (c) 2025 Zuzanna Perlicka, Tomasz Antczak, Monika Gajda-Bathelt, Monika Dąbek, Katarzyna Jania, Karolina Smolińska, Paulina Sadkowska, Julia Kulczycka, Weronika Popow, Michał Ciołkosz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles are published in open-access and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Hence, authors retain copyright to the content of the articles.
CC BY 4.0 License allows content to be copied, adapted, displayed, distributed, re-published or otherwise re-used for any purpose including for adaptation and commercial use provided the content is attributed.
