For those who live for all things climbing, the off-season can be nothing short of torturous. Not only are you not able to get out there and engage in the sport that you enjoy so much, but your fitness level can start to fade during those down months. This can make it harder for you to jump back into the swing of things when climbing season starts up again.
Rather than get involved in that vicious circle where your fitness level is concerned, why not find some ways you can stay fit outside of climbing season? This will obviously be better for your health, but it can also help you transition into climbing season in a seamless way. Here’s a look at a few ways you can stay fit outside of climbing season.
Roller Derby
If you’re not satisfied with the typical gym membership and you want to be active in a more engaging and unique way, the sport of roller derby could be well worth checking out. All it takes is 20-30 minutes of roller derby to enjoy such benefits as building a healthier heart, getting an excellent cardio workout, improving your balance and flexibility, building endurance and strength, and even promoting weight loss.
As for the gear/equipment you’ll need, the most important aspect of roller derby is obviously your skates. You can get a great set of roller skates at Riedell Roller. You’ll be able to customize the look of your skates by choosing the wheel color and the actual style of the boot. You can opt for a vinyl roller skate, which is a bit cheaper, or a leather boot.
Yoga
Yoga is another great form of exercise to engage in outside of climbing season. Now it should be said that yoga alone may not be enough, but when combined with other activities it can help round out your regime. Yoga is an excellent way for you to isolate particular areas of your body to strengthen and build flexibility. This can come in really handy as you’re climbing a particularly challenging section.
Another bonus in practicing yoga is that you really don’t need any sort of equipment or large initial investment – you can just buy a yoga mat and do it at home.
Basic Strength Training Exercises
While not always exciting, the fact is that basic strengthening exercises will go a long way in keeping you fit during the off-season. Again, these are exercises that don’t require a whole lot of equipment, just the space to do them. If you’ve got enough space in your home, then you don’t necessarily need to join a gym.
Some of the key exercises you’ll want to perform are sit-ups, push-ups, squats, pull-ups, a dead hang (harder to do at home), dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell front squats, lunges, and the plank.
Cruise Right into Climbing Season
When you take the extra steps and time to stay fit during the off-season, you’ll find that once climbing season does get underway, you’ll be more than ready to embrace the sport.
