Yoga for Rock Climbing
I recently tried indoor rock climbing for the first time at Steep Rock Bouldering on the Upper East Side and absolutely loved it! It’s definitely harder than it looks, and I got a great workout. The staff at Steep Rock Bouldering were super friendly and made the overall experience fun and doable for an amateur like me.
It was such an empowering feeling to be able to support myself with my own strength, I felt a real sense of achievement each time I hit the top. I realized that bouldering takes some serious upper body strength to lift myself up; and flexibility to be able to find the right arm and foot placement. As you can see I look like batman here, stretched scaling walls:
My practice in yoga helped me be somewhat of a “natural” on the rock climbing wall. The two activities really compliment each other because they both focus on strength, balance and flexibility. If you’re a rock climber, or are interested in getting started, below are 3 simple yoga poses you can incorporate into your daily routine in order to help improve your upper body strength and overall flexibility:
- Crow Pose: Great pose for building upper body strength and challenging your balance.
2. Chaturanga: The ultimate exercise to really strengthen your upper body to be able to support yourself. Also works your abdominal muscles and improves core strength which is needed for balance!
3. Standing Leg Extension: Works balance, core strength and improves flexibility in your hamstrings.
I’m really excited to go back for another rock climbing session. I visited Steep Rock Bouldering during open climbing; but they also offer beginner classes, a special women’s climbing class and you can even host your child’s Birthday party there! I think it would be really fun to have a Birthday part for Timothy there when he’s a little older, he’s a natural climber. The prices were reasonable – an adult day pass is $20, which is less than most fitness classes in NYC and you get more time.
Kristin McGee is a celebrity yoga and Pilates instructor in New York City. She is currently teaching yoga with Peloton. She is the star of over 100 videos, seen in several magazines and tv shows and is a spokeswoman for many brands and causes she believes in. A proud mom to three, she sure keeps herself busy!