Why Every Climber Needs Yoga in Their Training Plan Part Three: Aids in Recovery

In this four-part series of “Why Every Climber Needs Yoga in Their Training Plan,” we have covered proprioception in part one and balance and mobility in part two.  This month, our theme is how yoga aids in climbing recovery.

In doing yoga for climbing recovery, you will find physical, mental and nervous system benefits. When we are climbing, there is often a point we reach where we say we are so “pumped” or “pumpy.” We have all felt the forearm pump! Every wonder what it is? It is the buildup of blood lactate during intense exercise. Blood flow decreases and fatigue increases. We often feel this pump more often than not after a climbing session. This is where you would want some physical recovery. We also get mental fatigue when climbing.  This can be caused by focusing while belaying, fear of falling, stress of sending, etc. Yoga can help reset our mind. Lastly, climbing also affects our nervous system. Our nervous system can get out of whack by the increased anxiety climbing can cause.

Physically, yoga will help increase circulation, injury rehabilitation, and will reduce muscle tension. The physical movement of yoga itself helps stretch your muscles and as you focus on your breath, you are then increasing oxygen and blood flow in your body.  Of course, different poses help different areas. For example supine twist will release tension in your lower back, inversions like down dog send blood to your upper body and brain and bridge pose will help activate your heart and lungs, which will help with circulation.

If you are curious about what poses to do and how they can help, check out one of my classes or work with me 1:1.

Mentally, yoga will help you when focusing on the breath and combining it with movement. Like all exercises, you will receive dopamine and serotonin from practicing yoga, but not all exercises help physical, mental and nervous system recovery. Yoga is a mindfulness practice, just as climbing is. Taking a yoga class is taking time to tune into yourself, focus on yourself, and allowing yourself to be in the present moment. We often feel fear when we are climbing, so practicing yoga will help build that mind-body connection (like when your teacher has you hold a pose you don’t like) or staying focused on your breath as you move. Being present on the wall is also important; just like in a yoga class, you will feel the benefits if you are present. Of course, practicing and focusing on your breath in a yoga class is really beneficial while climbing, as you can focus on your breath climbing and help reduce anxiety while climbing and improve your concentration.

Yoga will help your nervous system. Personally, my nervous system went wild when climbing in El Potrero Chico. I was talking with my partner about this and he said the same thing. I believe my nervous system was a 15/10 because of a few things. The main one being multiple days of very long multi-pitches, leading, hanging belays, trying to climb really early or really late to combat the sun, and all sorts of loud music playing at the same time from the locals in the canyon down below can do a number on your nervous system. Climbing is a sport that increases your anxiety whether it is days of multi-pitch, topping a boulder, or leading on a rope; we can all feel that anxiousness. Yoga will help by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and will help decrease stress and anxiety and help you feel calm.

The more you practice yoga, the more you will reap the benefits, just like climbing! There are different types of yoga classes and different types of teachers.  I encourage you to try one out and if you don’t like it, try a different one. It’s similar to choosing bouldering, trad, sport, or multi-pitch. You’ll get a different experience based on the teacher and type of yoga. Gentle yoga will help calm and aid in some deep stretches for recovery, while vinyasa yoga will help sharpen your mind, challenge you physically and will activate your parasympathetic nervous system.

No matter what class you choose, get out there and give it a try!