Time and time again my clients share a similar sentiment about why they love climbing - it puts them in the present moment, where nothing else matters, and the outcome hinges upon staying focused on the task at hand. “Slow and smooth” and “lungs and legs” are common phrases I use to reinforce the climbing way to these Jedi’s in training.
Let’s brake it down…
Imagine you are standing at the base of a rock climb. Regardless of your experience level, the mindset is mostly the same: envision the climb from start to finish, put your hands and feet on the wall and begin. Even experienced climbers have a tendency to rush, which is generally inefficient. Believe me, I have made more than 10 moves off the ground before realizing that I had not taken a single breath.
Breath is Key.
Next time you begin a climb, get on the wall and settle into the mantra “slow and smooth” then take a breath in and exhale through the movement. This simple practice will improve your climbing game ten fold.
The body is an incredible vehicle, capable of surpassing our limits. Breath is probably the body’s most effective tool for performance, my opinion yes, but I’d be willing to bet money on this theory. Coordinated breath with climbing movement helps us stay present and moving efficiently with most of our body weight centered over our feet with long arms.
These subtle reminders have radically improved my movement and present moment mindset. As a result, I love rock and ice climbing even more. Professional climber and trainer Eric Hörst shared an anecdote in one of his training manuals that may prove useful. He broke down the act of climbing into three categories: strength, technique and mindset. Eric gave importance to all three being equal, with one caveat - strength and technique are activated by mindset. A proper mindset allows for full strength and technique to prevail, whereas as limited, fearful or untethered mindset will result in less strength and poor technique.
What is the way to foster a proper mindset? Your breath!
The legendary John Gill got into his climbing zone by sitting still, breathing and focusing on a single blade of grass. This process cleared his mind and helped him access flow state. There are countless ways and methods for breathing. You could simply inhale and exhale slowly five times before beginning your climb.
Breath through your nose.
No, you cant take deep breaths through the nose when compared to the mouth, but the nose effectively creates two things: a more focused present moment mindset, and balance. Mouth breathing expands the lungs and chest, knocking the upper body out of balance, whereas nasal breathing expands the stomach and activates core muscles…winning!!
Hope this helps.
Ryan