Categories / Outdoor & adventure
Featured in: Exercise for teenagers
Rock Climbing and Bouldering
Climbing indoor walls or crags.
How to start
Take a beginner session at an indoor climbing wall. Bouldering needs only shoes and chalk, and a mat protects falls.
How to progress
Climb weekly, learn technique, then try harder routes.
What the evidence says
Evidence: limited
We found no trials of this particular activity. A 2026 trial protocol is testing bouldering as psychotherapy for depressed adolescents, but results are not yet available. A 2026 review protocol also notes that climbing injuries are well documented, and it aims to map rehabilitation after them.
Take care: Falls and finger, shoulder and elbow strains occur. Learn to fall, warm up, and rest fingers between sessions.
Sources
12-week starter plan
A weekly session with a rest day between.
Tick each week as you finish it; your ticks are saved on this device only. Repeat a week if it felt hard. Weeks 4, 8 and 12 hold steady so you can settle. This is a general plan, not medical advice.
Add reminders to your calendar
Pick your days and time. You will download a calendar file that adds 12 weeks of reminders to Google, Apple or Outlook calendar.
Calories and weekly minutes
Enter your details for a rough estimate. Based on about 5.8 METs (Typical effort for this activity (estimated)). Real figures vary by 20% or more between people.
Tips and common mistakes
Tips
- Learn to fall.
- Warm up fingers and shoulders.
- Use legs, not just arms.
Common mistakes
- Overloading fingers.
- Skipping warm-up.
- Climbing tired.
Kit and cost
Moderate Approximate UK prices.
- Climbing shoes (hire to start)
- Chalk
- Wall entry (about £8 to £14)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be strong?
No. Technique matters more.
Is it safe?
Indoor bouldering is common, with fall risk. Learn to fall.
Can I climb alone?
Bouldering can be done with a buddy; roped climbing needs a partner.
Good for: Strength Skill Mood & stress
Compare with similar options
| Rock Climbing and Bouldering | Parkour | Orienteering | Obstacle Course Racing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical session | 90 min × 2/wk | 90 min × 3/wk | 90 min × 1/wk | 120 min × 1/wk |
| Effort | ●●●●○ | ●●●●○ | ●●●○○ | ●●●●● |
| Cost | Moderate cost | Low cost | Low cost | Moderate cost |
| Equipment | Specialist kit | No equipment | Basic kit | Basic kit |
| Impact | Low impact | High impact | Medium impact | High impact |
| Fitness needed | Some fitness | Moderate fitness | Some fitness | Moderate fitness |
| Evidence | limited | limited | limited | limited |