{"id":942,"date":"2026-07-01T16:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T16:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/07\/01\/from-falling-to-flow-why-you-should-take-up-bouldering-as-a-hobby-for-reasons-beyond-exercise\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T16:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T16:57:08","slug":"from-falling-to-flow-why-you-should-take-up-bouldering-as-a-hobby-for-reasons-beyond-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/07\/01\/from-falling-to-flow-why-you-should-take-up-bouldering-as-a-hobby-for-reasons-beyond-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"From falling to flow: why you should take up bouldering as a hobby for reasons beyond exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/span> Duet PandG\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shortly after I started my PhD at the end of 2016, a small, community-focused bouldering wall opened on the street I lived on. I was completely new to climbing at the time but thought: why not give it a go. Almost a decade later my love affair with bouldering is still going strong and I\u2019ve found, as a researcher and a boulderer, there are many benefits to my hobby. <\/p>\n

Bouldering<\/a> is rock climbing without ropes, usually to a fixed height of up to 4.5m, with protection from falling provided by foam crash mats. These short, dynamic climbs are known as \u201cproblems\u201d as they not only test physical technique and strength but also strategic problem-solving. <\/p>\n

The practice first emerged<\/a> in the 19th century where it was considered useful practice for roped and alpine climbing. Fast forward to the second half of the 20th century, and the discipline gained a following of its own with indoor bouldering walls opening across cities in North America and Europe.<\/p>\n

The sport reached new heights of popularity when it made its Olympic debut as a discipline of Sport Climbing at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games (held in August 2021).
\nAn extra boost was felt after the most recent Olympics with the Association of British Climbing Walls reporting<\/a> visits to climbing facilities more than doubled from 2024 to 2025. What\u2019s more, over one quarter of all climbing walls in this country opened within the last half decade, with more than 60% of those offering bouldering exclusively. <\/p>\n

All you really need to boulder are some climbing-specific shoes and some chalk to absorb moisture from your hands, which is often provided by facilities. <\/p>\n

\n

Hobbies can bring joy, wellbeing and focus to our busy lives, but so many of us don\u2019t have one. If you\u2019re ready to replace scrolling with stitching, or hustle with horticulture, The Hobby Starter Kit<\/a> (a new series from Quarter Life<\/a>) will help you get going.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

There are of course numerous benefits of bouldering \u2013 from the physiological and psychological, to its less obvious social and even intellectual draws. <\/p>\n

Relying as much on the main leg muscle groups as core or upper body strength, regular bouldering builds balance and agility, grip strength and cardiorespiratory fitness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Although it can be completed independently, bouldering at busy climbing walls often brings social benefits too. It is proven that social connections, no matter how small, are good for us<\/a>, and bouldering offers a great way to spend time with people. The intellectually challenging nature of the sport \u2013 including working out how to successfully climb a sequence of colour-coded holds \u2013 means climbers often rely on others for tips and guidance, known as \u201cbeta\u201d<\/a>. Nine years since I first set foot in a bouldering wall in east London, I still count several strangers that I met and climbed with there as friends.<\/p>\n

\n \"A
\n Climbers often rely on others for tips and guidance when it comes to solving the problem of how to complete a climb.<\/span>
\n Julia Mountain Photo\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In my ongoing research project<\/a> investigating indoor bouldering as a short-term mental health intervention<\/a> for adults with my colleague Abigail Thompson, we are finding that like climbing more generally, bouldering can produce flow-like states of deep focus and absorption that can help people recovering from addiction, crisis, and trauma<\/a>. <\/p>\n

We\u2019ve also found that with mental and physical problem-solving required, bouldering can increase a person\u2019s belief in their abilities, potential and worth. Insights from our interview data show that feeling a sense of achievement in this way is a common reason our research participants return to bouldering.<\/p>\n

Conversely, because of the relatively high amount of time I\u2019ve spent falling off bouldering problems over the years, I have come to see that bouldering can also offer a deep sense of humility that allows boulderers to recognise, understand, and accept their limitations.<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n
\n Read more:
\n The science behind why hobbies can improve our mental health<\/a>
\n <\/strong>
\n <\/em>\n<\/p>\n

\n

Indoor bouldering also offers a useful gateway for connecting with nature. From Portland to Peak District, Snowdonia, Yorkshire and even Tunbridge Wells, the UK boasts some of the best outdoor bouldering in the world, often in stunning locations. <\/p>\n

While bouldering outdoors often requires greater aptitude and experience, as well as a boulder mat to protect you from falling, once you\u2019ve mastered the basics there\u2019s nothing stopping you pulling on some real rock in the great outdoors and benefiting from everything<\/a> that being outside and engaging with nature brings.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Jacob Fairless Nicholson receives funding from the UCL Grand Challenges.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Duet PandG\/Shutterstock Shortly after I started my PhD at the end of 2016, a small, community-focused bouldering wall opened on the street I lived on. I was completely new to climbing at the time but thought: why not give it a go. Almost a decade later my love affair with bouldering is still going strong […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/942\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}