Whether its finger tweaks, shoulder pain, or twisted ankles, anyone who has committed any amount of time to bouldering knows that it is a high impact style of climbing that can easily lead to injuries. To help you stay injury free while bouldering, Rock and Ice published an article by British climber and coach Neil Gresham that outlines 15 tips to help you boulder without getting hurt.
“Bouldering is a high-risk activity. Performing well while avoiding injury is both an art and a science. It’s not just about warming up, but getting your tactics right and developing a feel for when to push and when to back off. Use this article as a checklist to ensure that you’re doing everything in your power to stay injury-free.” – Neil Gresham
Here are the 15 tips that are meant to be used as a bouldering injury prevention check list. Neil discusses them all in more detail in the full article that can be found by clicking through below.
- Warm-up
- Know your level
- Observe protocol for falling and landing
- Warm-up progressively
- Rest sufficiently between attempts
- Use skill before force
- Move on and switch styles
- High risk holds and moves
- Emphasize quality
- Don’t over train!
- Structure your training
- Balance the body!
- Build a base
- Warm down
- Lifestyle
These tips are definitely a good starting point for trying to avoid injuries. However, if you are looking for more help with staying injury free check out our Injury Prevention Guide by Dr. Jared Vagy for even more advice.
Click Here: Injury Free Bouldering – 15 Tips with Neil Gresham
(Photo Credit: Matt Pincus; @mpincus87; Area: Hueco Tanks, TX; Climb: Daily Dick Dose, V7; Climber: Katy Dannenberg)
Other Articles You Might Like:
- The Three Training Phases for Climbing
- Dave MacLeod Campus Training through Injury
- TBP 014 :: Physical Therapist Jared Vagy on Injury Prevention and Treatment
- How To Warm Up For A Bouldering Session
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