Whether you are new to climbing and only get out on the weekends or you are a seasoned climber logging 5 to 6 days a week, you have probably wondered how to keep climbing sustainable. That is what this list is about: 5 habits for healthy climbing you haven’t thought of, the small things that quietly keep you on the wall for years instead of sidelining you.
Your health is one of the biggest pieces of making climbing last.
To help you stay healthier while you climb, I have pulled together five things worth starting today. Each one covers a part of climbing health that most of us skip right over. Hopefully a few are new to you, and if you have habits of your own that work, share them with us. If you want more ideas like these, our sister post on 5 things to improve climbing performance and sustainability pairs nicely with this one.
5 Habits For Healthy Climbing You Haven’t Thought Of
None of these take much time or gear. They are the kind of habits you can bolt onto sessions you already do, and they add up fast.
Snack On Protein Before And After Your Climbing Session
Protein is one nutrient climbers really need to keep an eye on.
A lot of us climb because it is fun and never think of it as physical development, so the fuel our sessions actually need gets ignored.
“No matter your height, weight, or sex, ALL athletes (including climbers) should aim for about 120 grams of protein daily, divided as evenly as possible into 20-gram servings that are themselves separated by around three hours.”
Snacking on almonds or a protein bar (about 20 grams) before your session and a granola bar (another 20 grams) after makes your climbing habit healthier and gets you closer to that 100 to 120 grams of protein.
Scrub Your Feet
Foot health probably is not top of mind when you think about climbing, especially next to your hands. But it is one of the most neglected parts of a climber’s health, which is exactly why it lands near the top of this list.
It is worth thinking about more than the toe cramming that climbing shoes do. There are also the blisters, calluses, and dead skin that build up on most climbers’ feet.
If you have ever pulled your foot out of a climbing shoe and had dead skin peeling off, your feet could use some attention.
Scrubbing your feet and clearing off dead skin does not just make your feet healthier, it also cuts down on shoe odor. Dead skin is a common food source for bacteria, and bacteria are a common cause of that funky shoe smell.
You can scrub your feet with a pumice stone or even a scrub towel in the shower to get the dead skin off. If your feet are really calloused, a foot grater or something similar works well too. Healthy feet also make your footwork feel better, so it pairs nicely with drilling your footwork on the wall.
Most climbers notice a difference in how their feet look and feel right away. Staying on top of it matters, so consider adding a quick foot scrub to your shower routine.
Check The Weather
There have been so many times I saw the sun was out, drove up to the mountain to climb with friends, and got rained or snowed on halfway through the session.
When that happens, you have to decide whether to pack it in or push through the weather. Depending on what is coming down, you might be risking more than a cold from getting soaked. There is also the risk of slipping and falling, mudslides, flash floods, avalanches, and more.
Climbing in the rain and snow usually is not worth it. A lot of climbers decide to hike back to the car and go home, but even that carries risk. Wet trails get slippery, drop offs get sketchy if you slip, and the same problems of getting sick, mudslides, and flash floods still apply.
The ideal is to avoid those situations in the first place. You cannot dodge them 100 percent of the time, but taking five minutes to read the weather before you head to the crag helps you avoid them as much as possible.
Keep in mind you need to check the weather for where the crag actually is. It will not always match the weather at home.
Wash Your Hands
It is worth washing your hands before and after you climb.
According to the Center for Disease Control, “keeping your hands clean is the most important step we can take to avoid getting sick.” It cuts down on the germs you spread to other people and the ones you carry home.
Whether you are at the gym or the crag, always bring hand sanitizer in case there is no bathroom with running water and soap. Sanitizer is cheap and comes in a small package, so there is no real reason not to keep some on you.
Beyond spreading germs, washing your hands also gets the chalk off. Chalk left on your hands leads to chapped, dried out skin. Sanitizer is not ideal for that, but it beats nothing, so use it until you can get to soap and water.
Washing up also keeps chalk out of your car and off everything at home. Since chalk is not great for clean clothes or clear lungs, it is worth the extra minute. If skin care is a sticking point for you, our guide on climbing endurance for muscle, skin, and the mental game digs into keeping your hands in shape.
Warm-Up
Warming up is one of the first things you should do before you start climbing.
Plenty of climbers on social media and YouTube say they skip the warm-up, and it makes some people think they can too. But warming up does not just lower your chance of injury, it also lifts your performance. If you want something to follow, this 5 to 10 minute warm-up for climbing is an easy place to start.
Preventing Injury
Warming up is standard practice for pro climbers. If a pro gets hurt, they cannot do their job while they recover, so it makes sense they warm up, especially since they push themselves hard in training.
Casual climbers with a day job who only climb on weekends should warm up just as much as pros who climb every day.
Climbing injuries range from sore finger tendons all the way to shoulder surgery, so even if you never push hard, you are still at risk and should warm up to lower the odds. For more on staying healthy between sessions, see our tips on how to climb more often without getting injured.
Improve Performance
On top of that, without a warm-up you will not perform your best, which means you will not improve as quickly or as easily. Performance does not come up much in warm-up talk, probably because the folks writing about it are usually the ones who got hurt.
Still, warming up is a real part of climbing performance.
A good warm-up makes your muscles more pliable, able to move in more directions and hold for longer. Warm muscles also give you more accurate feedback on your position and what your body can do.
The better that information is, the more you can safely push yourself.
It has a nice side effect on your mental game too.
The feedback from warm muscles tells you which moves you can make and how long you can hold a position. So you get the mental edge of knowing how hard to push, plus the ease of pushing yourself when you trust that your muscles are ready.
Keep The Drills Coming
These habits are the quiet stuff that keeps you climbing. If you like practical tips you can use in the next session, the Send Edition newsletter sends you weekly climbing drills you can knock out in about 15 minutes, and it is free. Level up your climbing with 15 minutes of training and grab the next drill in your inbox.
Conclusion
Whether you climb professionally or casually on weekends, looking after your health is a big part of the longevity and sustainability of your climbing.
There is plenty you can do to stay healthy while you climb.
Above are five you may not have thought about before: scrubbing your feet, checking the weather, washing your hands before and after each session, snacking on protein, and warming up before you climb.
Have you tried any of these? What works best for you?
More About Training for Climbing:
- How To Climb More Often Without Getting Injured | Tried And Tested Methods For Recovery
- Lower Body Mobility And Flexibility Challenge
- Neglected Techniques Necessary For V4-V5 Progression
- 17 Footwork Drills For Climbing
- Mental Training For Climbing
- How Often And Hard Should You Climb To Get Gains?
- When Should You Start Hangboarding For Boulder’s
- Is Bouldering When Sore Bad?
- The Top 22 Climbing Techniques And Skills And How To Do Them
- 23 Tips For Climbing Slabs
- When To Flag In Climbing And How-To-Do It (With Videos)
- How To Learn Climbing Technique For Beginners
- What Should You Record In A Climbing Journal?
- Climbing Endurance: Muscle, Skin And Mental Training
- How To Deal With Fear Of Falling
- How Many Days Should You Climb Per Week?
- 5-10 Minute Warm-Up For Climbing
- What Is A Dyno And How To Do It
- What Is A Gaston In Climbing? Powerful Moves For Beginners
- Can Foam Rolling Improve Rock Climbing Performance?
- 7 Things Climbers Should Do On Rest Days For Better Performance
- When Do You Need A Rest Day?
- How To Climb Your Best – Pros And Cons Of Rest Days
- Static Vs Dynamic Climbing Movement: Pros And Cons
- 5 Habits For Healthy Climbing That You Haven’t Thought Of
- 5 Things To Improve Climbing Performance And Sustainability
- 10 Minute Workout Routines For Post Climbing Sessions
- How To Use Climbing Holds: Techniques For Improved Climbing
- A Guide For Climbers: Bouldering Drills 101
- 12 Easy Workouts To Increase Hand And Grip Strength For Climbers
- What Are Undercling Climbing Holds And Why Climbers Love/Hate Them
- What Is A Crimp In Rock Climbing And How To Use Them
- 7 Common Mistakes in Rock Climbing For Beginners
Frequently asked questions
What are the 5 habits for healthy climbing you haven’t thought of?
The five habits are snacking on protein before and after your session, scrubbing your feet to clear dead skin, checking the weather for the crag before you drive out, washing your hands before and after climbing, and warming up. They are easy to overlook, but each one keeps you climbing more comfortably for longer.
How much protein do climbers need?
Climbing.com suggests aiming for about 120 grams of protein daily, split into roughly 20-gram servings spaced about three hours apart. Snacking on almonds or a protein bar before you climb and a granola bar after is an easy way to get closer to that target.
Why should climbers scrub their feet?
Climbing shoes cram your toes and leave you with blisters, calluses, and dead skin. Scrubbing your feet with a pumice stone or a scrub towel removes that dead skin, which keeps your feet healthier and cuts down on shoe odor, since dead skin is a food source for the bacteria that make shoes smell.
Do you really need to warm up before climbing?
Yes. Warming up lowers your chance of injury and also boosts performance. Warm muscles are more pliable and give you more accurate feedback on your position, so you can push harder with more confidence. This is true whether you climb every day or only on weekends.
Why wash your hands before and after climbing?
The CDC calls clean hands the most important step for avoiding illness, so washing cuts down on germs you pass around or carry home. It also rinses off chalk, which dries out your skin and ends up in your car and clothes. Carry hand sanitizer for when there is no sink.
