Turning up to the climbing gym cold and jumping straight onto a route to try and get in a few climbs before the end of the night is a common mistake that beginners make. Protecting your tendons from strain and helping you to climb better from the very start of your climb is what a short warm- up can do for you.
Raise Your Heart Rate First
Take 3 – 5 minutes to slowly raise your heart rate with gentle movements, such as short walks around the gym, jogging on the spot, jumping jack, etc. This prepares your muscles for physical demands of climbing in warm conditions.
Mobilise Your Fingers and Forearms
Finger mobilizations: Open and close your hands slowly for ten reps. After that make gentle fists and try to release them again. Wrist mobilizations: After that make circular movements with your wrists in both directions for some reps.
Stretch Your Shoulders and Chest
Start with your hands claped behind your back and stretch your arms upwards over your head. Return to the starting position and now hold one arm across your body. Hold for 20 seconds and then switch sides. This stretch helps to relieve the pressure of climbing with your arms overhead.
Loosen Hips and Ankles
Stand on one foot and draw slow circles with the raised ankle. Move on to shallow squats keeping your heels down on the ground. In your climbing these footwork actions need good flexibility in your hips and stable ankles – which you don’t use when you are sitting at a desk.
Do a Few Easy Traverses
Most climbing gyms, including 270 Climbing, have a traversing wall or a section of low-lying easy holds. Provide a few minutes of easy traversing along the route at ground level before moving up to start the graded route.
More on Climbing Walls can be found at https://www.270climbing.com/climbing/.
By following physical warm-up techniques for new sport participants the risk of soft-tissue injury can be significantly reduced. It is especially important to look after the fingers and tendons when first participating in an activity and to complete the physical warm-up prior to commencing activity on climbing walls.