When I worked at the front desk at a climbing gym, I got asked all the time by climbers what can they do to get better at climbing. More specifically, they wanted to know what exercises they could do to complement the muscles engaged when on the wall.
It was an easy answer for me. Yoga.
I was obsessed with climbing and spent most of college on the wall. By happenstance, I was introduced to yoga and I quickly fell in love with how naturally it contrasted climbing. What I found was a way to stretch tight muscles to prevent injury and move in ways that you wouldn’t do on the wall. This also helped to strengthen opposing muscle groups often overlooked.
At Hudson Boulders, we recognize this, and that’s why we’ve created a dedicated space to help you become a stronger, more well-rounded climber. Let’s break down why every climber should add yoga to their training and climbing journey.
Physical Benefits of Yoga for Climbers
Climbers benefit greatly from increased hip and shoulder mobility. You spend a lot of time keeping your body close to the wall working those muscles hard! Yoga helps improve balance through standing poses (huge help for all of us on slab). It also improves body awareness through slow, intentional movement teaching climbers to fine-tune how they move through space, just like on a route.
Climbing places high demands on the body. Think total-body tension, balance, and joint integrity. Yoga supports all of these through:
- Improved mobility and flexibility: Especially in the hips and shoulders, which are great for high steps, drop-knees, and overhead movements.
- Joint stability: Aids in injury prevention.
- Enhanced body awareness: Boosts spatial awareness, helping to make transitions and weight shifts smoother and more precise.
Building Balance
As we just mentioned, yoga emphasizes slow, intentional movement and body awareness. Climbers use these skills on every route. By practicing balance-focused poses and mindful transitions, climbers can enhance their ability to move efficiently and react instinctively to the wall. It’s really what climbing is all about. Here a few poses to help build balance.
Yoga Poses for Balance
- Lizard Pose: Opens hips for greater leg mobility.
- Thread the Needle: Targets the shoulders and thoracic spine.
- Chair Pose: Builds leg strength and promotes upright posture.
- Reclined Pigeon: Relieves tension in glutes and lower back.
- Forearm Plank: Strengthens the core for sustained tension.
Focus and Breath Control
Climbing sometimes requires intense focus. We’ve all had those moments on the wall when everything clicks. Your body moves effortlessly, each move flowing into the next, like you’ve become one with the wall. One of the best pieces of advice I got early on was: don’t forget to breathe! It’s easy to get so caught up in the next move that we hold our breath without realizing it. But intentional breathing can make all the difference. And that’s where yoga comes in too.
Mindfulness for the Wall
- Box Breathing or Ujjayi Breath: Use before or after a climb to calm the nervous system and focus your mind.
- Exhale with effort: Time your exhalations with crux moves to stay relaxed and in control during tense moments.
- Set an intention: Before each climb, take a moment to define a purpose or realistic goal. Whether it’s staying present, trying a new beta, or simply enjoying the movement, this can help you walk away feeling accomplished.
Injury Prevention and Post-Climb Recovery
By improving flexibility and joint stability, yoga helps climbers access a greater range of motion with control. It’s what every climber wants! It also focuses on symmetry. Balancing out the overused pulling muscles (like lats and forearms commonly overworked with climbing) with push and opening movements of yoga. Overtime, climbers often develop muscular imbalances with overused pulling muscles and tight connective tissues. Yoga helps all of this through:
- Symmetry and balance: Counteracting overuse of climber dominant muscles.
- Chest openers: Helps reduce tightness in the shoulders and upper body.
- Forearm and wrist mobility: Supports long-term tendon and joint health.
Recovery Yoga Poses
Try gentle flow yoga sessions post-climb, including:
- Reverse Prayer Pose or Wrist Flips: Gently stretch and release tension in the forearms (one of my favorites!)
- Supported Fish Pose: Opens the chest and upper spine—great after a day of climbing.
- Reclined Twists: Supports spinal health and helps to release lower back tension.
How to Integrate Yoga into Climbing Training
Aim for 1–2 sessions per week that complement your climbing schedule. Use lighter flows on rest days or in the evening after climbing. Use yoga as part of your warm-up or recovery post-climbs.
You’ll see improved flexibility in the hips and shoulders, better recovery times, and enhanced breathing control after a few consistent weeks of yoga. You can also feel more grounded and less reactive when tackling difficult routes.
Warm-up vs. Cool-down: Why Both Matter in Climbing Yoga
I know when climbing is an obsession, the last thing you want to do is take any time away from climbing! But yoga can be a powerful tool to bookend your climbing session. It’s like telling your body, “Hey, I’m helping you prepare before you get on the wall and recover more effectively afterward.” A good thing to mention is understanding the difference between dynamic and static yoga poses. Here’s a quick explanation:
What’s the Difference?
- Dynamic yoga poses involve movement and flow—you’re not holding the pose for long but instead moving in and out of it. This type of movement increases circulation, warms up the joints and muscles, and helps activate the nervous system.
- Static yoga poses are held for longer durations, typically 15–60 seconds. These poses target flexibility, release tension, and help calm the body and mind post-activity.
Want to learn about dynamic moves in climbing? Check out our series on dynamic moves starting here.
Before You Climb: Warm-Up Yoga
Doing a few minutes of dynamic yoga before climbing can boost your performance. It wakes up key muscle groups, increases range of motion, and helps reduce injury risk. Dynamic is key here because you want to engage the muscles first, gently. Don’t do heavy static poses when your muscles aren’t warmed up. This can actually do more harm than good.
Recommended Dynamic Warm-Up Poses:
- Cat-Cow: Wakes up the spine and the core.
- Downward Dog: Stretches hamstrings, calves, and shoulders dynamically.
- Standing Forward Fold with Knee Bends: Loosens up hamstrings and calves.
- Low Lunge Twist: Opens hips and spine.
- Sun Salutations: Full-body flow that warms up the muscles.
After You Climb: Cool-Down Yoga
After you climb or post-climb, static yoga poses help lengthen tight muscles and aid recovery. It can also help your body move into a more restful state.
Recommended Static Cool-Down Poses:
- Supine Hamstring Stretch: Helps relieve tightness in the back of the legs.
- Child’s Pose: Gently stretches the spine.
- Reclined Twist: Helps stretch your back.
- Supported Fish Pose: Releases the chest and shoulders after climbing.
- Seated Forward Fold: Opens the hamstrings.
Why This Matters
Climbers often overlook warm-ups and cool-downs, but they make a huge difference!
- Reducing injury risk
- Improving mobility
- Enhancing performance
- Speeding up recovery
Spending just 10–15 minutes before and after your session with yoga can help you feel better, climb stronger, and stay on the wall longer. It’s a win-win!
Common Mistakes Climbers Make with Yoga
Yoga can be an incredible tool for climbers. Here are some pointers on how to make it work for you. One of the most common mistakes climbers make is pushing too hard into stretches, especially with tight hamstrings, hips, or shoulders. Go easy! Chasing flexibility too aggressively can actually lead to strain or injury, which completely defeats the purpose of using yoga for recovery and performance.
Another pitfall is treating yoga like another workout. Don’t use the mindset that it’s only valuable if it’s intense or sweat-inducing. The true benefit for climbers lies in using yoga to restore balance to underworked muscles, build range of motion, and unwind tight areas that get overused on the wall.
The best way to approach it? Patience over performance. Give your body time to adjust. Use props if needed (blocks, straps, etc.). Remember, you are using yoga as a resource, not training to become an instructor! Explore poses gently, especially if you’re new to yoga or sore from climbing.
Some people also really respond to breathwork or mindful breathing (like box breathing or deep belly breaths). It’s not essential for everyone, but it can help:
- Calm the nervous system after climbing
- Improve focus and composure mid-route
- Support recovery by bringing the body into a more relaxed state
So, while breathwork is worth trying, for most climbers the biggest gains come from consistent stretching and mobility-focused yoga. Don’t push deeper, practice smarter.
A Sample 30-Minute Climber-Focused Yoga Session
Short on time but want maximum benefit? This 30-minute yoga flow is designed specifically for climbers. It targets mobility, builds strength in stabilizing muscles, and finishes with recovery-focused poses to help you wind down and reset.
This sequence is great to do:
- On a rest day as active recovery (the days you don’t climb do the entire sequence!)
- Before a climbing session as a warm-up (just shorten or modify the ending)
- After a climb to cool down and stretch out overworked areas (shorten or modify the beginning)
Full Session Breakdown
- Box Breathing (2 minutes)
A simple breath technique: inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Great for settling your mind and priming your focus. - Warm-Up (5–6 minutes)
- Cat-Cow: Wake up the spine and core
- Downward Dog: Loosen shoulders, calves, and hamstrings
- Standing Forward Fold: Light hamstring and lower back release
- Mobility Work (8–10 minutes)
- Lizard Lunge: Opens deep hip flexors
- Pigeon Pose: Targets glutes and outer hips
- Low Lunge Twist: Mobilizes thoracic spine and hips
- Strength & Balance (7–8 minutes)
- Chair Pose: Builds quads and supports posture
- Tree Pose: Trains balance and focus
- Warrior III: Challenges body tension and glute stability
- Cool Down (7–8 minutes)
- Reclined Twist: Releases tension in the back and core
- Supine Hamstring Stretch: Gently lengthens tight hamstrings
- Savasana: A brief rest to let your body absorb the benefits
Need Pose References?
If you’re unfamiliar with any of the poses, check out Yoga Journal. It’s a great visual guide with detailed instructions for nearly every yoga pose and style.
Yoga at Hudson Boulders: A Built-In Recovery and Training Zone
One of the unique perks of climbing at Hudson Boulders is the on-site yoga studio—a dedicated space just steps from the wall. The studio hosts regular yoga classes tailored for athletes and climbers, focusing on mobility, strength, and recovery.
But here’s the real bonus: when classes aren’t in session, climbers can use the yoga space freely. That means you’ve got the perfect quiet corner to warm up with some Downward Dogs, stretch out post-session, or even drop into a few minutes of breathwork to center yourself before a project.
Whether you’re trying to loosen up your hips for high steps or just need a reset after a tough climb, the studio gives you the tools and space to take care of your body—no extra travel, a dedicated area!
Pro Tip: Try showing up 15–20 minutes early or staying a bit after your session to fit in a short yoga flow. Even a quick warm-up or cool-down can help your body feel better and move more smoothly from one climbing day to the next.
Final Thoughts
Yoga is more than a recovery tool. It’s a training ally for climbers who want to move smarter, climb longer, and stay mentally grounded. Whether you’re projecting your next 5.12, working your slab game, or just starting out, a yoga practice can make you a better climber. Happy climbing!
