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Health Benefits Of Climbing And Yoga Exercises

Each of the exercises has its own set of benefits. Of course, climbers who practice yoga also believe that there are plenty of similarities between the two. Yoga is an ancient form of exercise, developed by the sages in India, to prepare the body for higher meditation. A form of exercise that stretches and strengthens the muscles of the body, yoga also builds focus and concentration. Climbing is generally done by rock climbers and mountain climbers and requires a lot of strength, muscle coordination and concentration. In fact, like yoga, climbing encourages a balance between the soul, body and mind.

Yoga and Climbing

There are quite a few similarities between the two. Once you read the similarities and the differences between yoga and climbing, you can decide which exercise form suits you better. Or maybe, you could do both for more benefits.

• Yoga and rock climbing are meditative, in the sense that both need immense concentration and both prepare the body for higher physical and mental performance.
• Both these forms of exercise need a calm state of mind, focus, presence of mind and the ability to challenge your own physical limits.
• Yoga and rock climbing require muscle strength, endurance and balance. And the more you practice these exercise forms, the better you’ll become at them.
• Yoga asanas are said to increase body awareness. This not only increases your focus and concentration, but also makes you more attuned to every movement of the body. Climbing too increases a person’s presence of mind, concentration and body awareness. While climbing a mountain, the climber has to be conscious about every movement and about the correct footholds.
• Yoga also incorporates breath control. Pranayama teaches people to inhale and exhale in several ways to absorb more oxygen into the body and flush out toxins. A climber too has to master breath control as breathing too quickly or breathing too slowly can result in a break in concentration and muscle tension. While climbing, all the muscles of the body need to get oxygenated, so mastering breath control is very important for the climber.
• Mental strength is very important in both yoga and climbing. A calm and focused body is essential while pursuing either of these exercises.
• Flexibility, balance, control on muscle tension and core strength are the very basics of yoga and climbing. Yoga practitioners and climbers believe that several of the yoga postures are similar to the postures in rock climbing.
• While there are several similarities between yoga and climbing, the risks and chances of serious injuries are much higher in climbing.

You can choose yoga or climbing, depending upon what you’re really looking for in a physical activity. If you’re looking for adventure and an adrenaline rush then climbing would be the activity for you. Or, you could also do both on different days. Climbing and yoga complement each other and each activity can benefit from the other.

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