By Arianne Ouellet, physiotherapist
Climbing is an extremely physically demanding sport. Therefore, the risk of injury is present if the practice is not done correctly. To reduce this risk and make the most of your sport, here are four valuable tips to follow!
1) Pay special attention to warm-up
Warming up is essential for safe sports practice. The main objectives of a warm-up are:
- Increase body temperature. To do this, engage in light to moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity for 5 to 10 minutes (e.g., brisk walk, cycling, rowing).
- Prepare structures (muscles, joints) for the mechanical stresses they will be subjected to during climbing. Start with sport-specific exercises, then begin climbing by progressively increasing the difficulty and intensity. The more advanced the climber, the longer their specific warm-up should be.
2) Avoid or limit the use of “crimp” holds like this:
The mechanical force exerted on your finger structures in this position is more pronounced and increases the risk of injury.
3) Remember to include a cool down before finishing your climbing session
Your maximum intensity level should not be reached during your final climb. Instead, you should reach that intensity around the 2/3 mark of your climbing session, then gradually decrease the difficulty and intensity. In other words, do the opposite of what you did during your warm-up!
4) Vary your sports activities and take rest days!
Would you like more information on this? Have you unfortunately developed injuries related to climbing? Take control of your health and team up with us!