TES Brings Soul, Self & Style Advice To One Of Our Favorite & Fun Things To Do:
Here Are Some ROCK CLIMBING BASICS (HOW TO GET STARTED)
Indoor Rock Climbing.
We all strive to be & stay fit, eat well & live right, don’t we?
To some that may sound like “the perfect world”, when in reality, life is constantly throwing us curve balls, problems to solve & obstacles to hurdle.
All the while we have such limited time to conquer these feats, bring happiness to ourselves & our families, as we all strive for that mystical
unicorn in our lives called “life balance”.
With this being said all we can do is try to squeeze in as many healthy habits as our individual time & money allot for, but ultimately the trick is to keep it interesting & keep trying! We’d say based on the current statistics (shown in the chart below) collectively, we as Americans spend a little too much time on the tube & we have the power to change that.
Try to limit you & your families’ television & electronic device habits, refrain from watching all 1,000+ awesome t.v. shows on platforms like Prime Video (we know it’s tough, there are some great shows out there!) & challenge yourselves to get moving & try new, fun things to do as a couple/family that burn calories.
Who doesn’t enjoy pumping some hard iron every now & again?
We both love going to the gym as much as the next person but let’s admit that gyms at times can get a little boring to look at & no matter how many different exercises you can come up within a session, it can all start to feel a bit routine, so switching up your scenery & keeping your mind & muscles both interested is essential to growth & personal development in regards to health & fitness.
A gym is also a place not everyone feels comfortable bringing their kids to unless they’re sitting in daycare waiting for your session to be over. Cold hard steel everywhere just doesn’t seem kid appropriate (unless your kid is aspiring to be a bodybuilder at a young age, like “Little Hercules”).
Thankfully there are so many family-friendly options available to us in these modern times to stretch past the ordinary & keep things new & interesting.
One of the many ways we @ TES Blog do that is with indoor Rock Climbing. If you’ve never tried it you’re missing out & it’s time you set your personal work out goals to new, exciting heights… Literally!
I don’t know about you, but personally our family loves a good challenge & creating new adventures together & since we started our indoor rock climbing journey, we haven’t looked back.
It has become a huge part of our fitness lifestyle together & opened up a whole new realm of “date day/night” possibilities with one another (rather than wasted time going out to the bars, clubs, etc.).
If you enjoy time with your family, as well as a good workout, rock climbing should be your first to mark off the list of things to do with the family.
As for families bringing children the good news is there is NO AGE RESTRICTION for indoor climbing gyms, only adult supervision & signed liability forms are needed if you’re bringing children under 14 years of age.
What we find so fascinating about this is that you wouldn’t have to wait many years until your kids are older to start a fun, new, healthy hobby with them.
You could get started as early as you see fit & develop a great new way to bond with your little ones.
How Do I Start Rock Climbing?
To get started rock climbing, start by Googling “rock climbing gym near me“, look up a YOUtube video on “rock climbing for beginners” to get an idea of what’s involved, or JUST SHOW UP & learn from a knowledgeable staff member.
Any rock climbing establishment we’ve been to (we checked out all of the local ones DFW had to offer before we bought our membership to see which we liked best) has always had the most professional & friendly staff members working there (think happy, hippy, but safe vibes).
Upon arrival you will have to sign liability forms for all parties involved in climbing (for their protection & yours) because there is a bit of risk involved, but keep in mind safety is always of the utmost importance at rock climbing facilities & is ALWAYS their #1 priority for you, your peace of mind, experience & enjoyment.
So don’t worry or stress, they are there to help you & teach you what you need to know, in-person to get you climbing in typically 30 minutes or less (it’s that easy).
Now gripping the artificial rocks and actually making your way up the more advanced routes your first day… Maybe not so easy.
***On an important note, it is important to let you know that rock climbing is very physically demanding and although it can be great for rehabilitation, if you have any sort of physical disability or major health concern you may want to take the proper steps and precautions.
You could start by learning how to properly stretch before your rock climbing workout, or how to apply the proper health accessories that are available beforehand, like applying high quality kinesiology tape to your injuries, and implementing stretching bands into your stretching routine.
Carter uses KT Tape (kinesiology tape) on his shoulders where he has a shoulder subluxation that refers to a partial dislocation of the shoulder joint as well as his lower back and it is the most effective tool we’ve ever found for those kinds of injuries.
These techniques have been suggested and used by healthcare professionals like orthopedics, chiropractors, physical therapists and athletic trainers for over thirty years.***
It will take time to condition your muscles & grip accordingly, it’s all part of the process & one of the great challenges you’ll face with climbing if you’re into that sorta thing!
If you try climbing & want to advance your mastery & shorten your soreness time, we suggest you try out the hand/grip strengthener shown in “our bag” below (which helps relieve carpal tunnel too) in your spare time & doing some serious stretching with the elastic bands before & after your workouts for best results.
So What's Involved With Rock Climbing?
If you’re the type that doesn’t like to commit or rush into things don’t worry about buying any personal gear beforehand, rock climbing gyms typically offer free gear rental (harness, shoes & chalk/chalk bag) with your day pass and/or monthly membership.
- If you’re the type that can’t stand going to a bowling alley & using their overused rental shoes, then you will not be a fan of rock climbing rentals! With rock climbing, it’s suggested you DO NOT wear socks with your climbing shoes, so at least buying your own rock climbing shoes beforehand might be a good idea & we have our recommendations for shoes that we personally use (for both men & women) for our rock climb adventures, listed below.
- On that same note, we suggest you purchase a quality rock climbing harness as soon as possible, as opposed to the rentals they provide, for the protection of your groin… And other nearby body parts (; The rentals pull quite harshly around the inner thigh, groin and surrounding areas when doing top-rope climbing (when you’re strapped into a harness & have a belayer securing you up & down the wall).
- You’ll also find out very quickly that climbing will get your hands really nice & sweaty which makes the rocks hard to hold onto, so buying high quality chalk can help tremendously with added friction & dry hands. The chalk the gyms provide for free help out slightly but are typically low in quality & will not hold in the moisture for long periods of time.
We have a few other suggestions on other great products we love and use while we’re at the rock climbing facilities, but are not necessarily needed the first or second time if you’re just looking to get a feel for the sport (but they still come in very handy). Those product suggestions are:
4. Finding a Cool rock climbing chalk bag, protect your hands with climbing tape, and working on your hand dexterity with a good grip strengthener (they’re also great for people who also have ADHD and need something to keep them busy).
Now that you have the basics on rock climbing and understand how to get started you now have a new favorite hobby to go and enjoy!
It’s always nice finding something new & fun to do on a date, with friends, or with your family, so now that you’re aware, we @ TES Blog highly encourage you to take action & find your nearest indoor rock climbing gym to elevate you & your families’ lives together!
What's In Our Indoor Rock Climbing Bag
Climbing Harness
Stasia’s STYLE Of Rock Climbing Harness Here
Carter’s STYLE Of Rock Climbing Harness Here
Climbing Shoes
Chalk Bags
Optional Accessories
Recommended Health, Strength & Stretching Accessories
“Everyone Wants To Live On Top Of The Mountain, That Everyone's Not Willing to Climb."
5 Responses
Excellent post! I’m glad I ran across this because I love to rock climb and not only does this post make me want to climb, but I also use and recommend most of the products you use and suggest in the article.
Have you been able to try it yourself? Anyone can do it and I know you can too!
-Carter
You need to get back into it my friend, it’s the best workout and escapes you could ask for! I appreciate you commenting, have a great weekend.
-Carter
Interesting article. I haven’t rock climbed in yearsss. Love the qoute and “the bag”..
Love this article! Such a great reminder to keep fitness fun. Thanks for sharing.