8 Stretches to Help You Prepare for a Climb

Stretching before (and after) any physical activity is critical, especially in a physically demanding sport like climbing. Dynamic stretching, which are moving stretches that can warm up your joints and muscles, is especially important before climbing. Static stretching, which involves holding one pose for 15–30 seconds, should mostly be saved for your cool-down. Here are some of the benefits of stretching before climbing.

1. 1. Warms up your muscles and joints. After sitting all day, your muscles get cold and accustomed to a more inhibited range of motion. Stretching encourages blood flow to your muscles and joints, warming them up before a vigorous climb.
2. 2. Helps to avoid injury. Having a stretching routine is the best method of injury prevention in climbing. Muscle pulls and strains are the most common injuries that climbers experience, and properly warming your muscles up helps prepare your muscles for the stress that they experience during a climb.
3. 3. Lengthens your muscles and increases flexibility. Dynamic stretches that target the specific muscle groups used most during climbing can help improve flexibility in those muscle groups, Also, stretching can gradually lengthen your muscles, which can make you more agile when climbing.

Without stretching, climbers can be more prone to a number of different injuries, including shoulder injuries such as rotator cuff tears, finger injuries, elbow injuries, hamstring or ligament tears, or knee injuries. Here is a list of the areas of the body a rock climber should target with their climbing stretches.

1. 1. Hamstrings: Stretching the hamstring muscles, which are located at the back of your thighs, will increase the range of motion in your lower body, which is where you bear most of your weight during climbing.
2. 2. Quadriceps and hip flexors: Stretching your quadriceps (located in the front of your thigh) and hip flexors (located where your hips meet your pelvis) can allow for greater range of motion in your lower body.
3. 3. Forearms: Forearm stretches will help warm up your wrists and arms for stronger grips and more flexibility.
4. 4. Calves: Stretching your calves before a climbing session can help you avoid cramping during your climb. It can also warm up your ankles, which will bear a lot of stress during a climb.
5. 5. Shoulders and back: Stretching your shoulders and back (like the latissimus dorsi, which is the large muscle beneath your shoulder blades) will help increase your range of motion in your back. It may also help your ability to reach farther during a climb.

Here are nine stretches that you can use to warm up your muscles before a climbing session.

1. 1. Cat-cow pose: Rather than targeting one specific muscle, the dynamic yoga stretch cat-cow helps climbers stretch their entire upper body, including their back, neck, and forearms. This stretch combines two yoga poses: the cat pose (marjaryasana in Sanskrit) and the cow pose (bitilasana). Practice the cat-cow stretch on a yoga mat, beginning on your hands and knees in a tabletop position with a neutral spine. Raise your belly button and round your spine until your body forms the cat pose with your chin close to your chest. After holding that position for a deep inhale, exhale and let your belly drop slowly. Arch your back and raise your head while squeezing your shoulder blades together and lifting your tailbone up. Hold the cow pose for a moment before returning to the cat pose.
2. 2. Cobra pose: The gradual and gentle backbend of cobra pose can serve to broaden the chest and collarbones, help alleviate back pain, and provide an opportunity to strengthen the entire spine and abdominal muscles. Begin by lying face down on your mat with your entire body extended. Press your legs and the tops of your feet firmly into the yoga mat and bring your legs to a hips-width distance. Bring your hands palms facing down directly underneath your shoulder blades. Press through the hands to lift the upper body and come into a low cobra pose. When you feel stabilized in low cobra, begin to press gently into the hands, even more, using your back and abdominal muscles to lift as high as you comfortably can into a deeper backbend. Look slightly forward, or arch back and up. Ensure the back of your neck is long to ensure proper spinal alignment. You can stay here for a few breaths, maintaining spinal alignment.
3. 3. Deep squats: Deep squats target your glutes, hamstrings, and hips. Start by standing with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart. Bend your knees and send your pelvis behind you to keep your knees over your toes. Pause when your knees are at a 90-degree angle, keeping your back long and straight. Then come back to standing position. Hold each squat for 15 seconds, and repeat this stretch ten times.
4. 4. Downward dog: The yoga pose downward dog serves as a dynamic stretch to target critical lower-body muscles for climbers, like hamstrings, calves, and the feet. Start on the floor with your hands shoulder-width apart, with your shoulders above your wrists. Lift your knees. Next, tuck your toes against the mat or ground, using that leverage to extend your legs and lift both knees into the air. Your body should now resemble an upside-down “V” shape. Extend and lengthen your spine, pressing through the palms of your hands and balls of your feet. Pull your pelvis up toward the ceiling, using the triceps in your upper arms to help stabilize your form. Hold and release. Hold your body in position, making sure to breathe properly. You can pedal your feet as you hold this position for a deeper hamstring stretch.
5. 5. Knee pull-ups: Knee pull-ups target your hamstrings and glutes and warm up your hip flexors for increased flexibility. Start standing on the ground. Pull your left leg into your chest with your knee bent. Hold this pose for 15 seconds and then repeat with your right leg. Repeat this four or five times.
6. 6. Neck rolls: This dynamic stretch helps you access the full range of motion in your neck. Start by standing upright on the ground and tilt your head forward. Circle your head around to the left side, around to the back, to the right side, and forward again. Repeat the stretch five to 10 times, then repeat in the other direction.
7. 7. Shoulder rotations: This dynamic stretch helps to warm up your shoulders and rotator cuffs. Start by standing upright on the ground. Roll your shoulders all the way forward so your shoulder blades open across your back. Circle your shoulders all the way up, to the back, down, and back to the front. Repeat the rotation ten times. Then reverse the direction of the shoulder roll and repeat.
8. 8. Torso clock twists: This dynamic stretch targets your lower back, shoulders, pectorals, and glutes. Start by lying on the floor and draw your left knee into your chest with your right arm. Lay your left arm on the floor at a 90-degree angle at shoulder height. Draw your left knee across your body towards your right side, twisting your lower body. Using your left arm, draw a circle up over your head, over to the right side, down towards your feet and back to the left side. Repeat this entire stretch on the other side with the right knee across your body and making a circle with your right arm.

Climbing is a high-impact activity with an elevated risk of serious injury. Practice, proper guidance, and extensive safety precautions are essential when attempting a climbing pursuit. This article is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional instruction or guidance.

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