Exploring the relationship between mindfulness and rock-climbing: a controlled study

• Published in: Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 2680 - 2692
• Main Author: Wheatley, Katherine A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.02.2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anxiety; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Climbing; Mindfulness; Mindfulness meditation; Psychological aspects; Psychological research; Psychology; Rock climbing; Social Sciences; United Kingdom; Wellbeing; Bouldering; Anxiety; Mindfulness; Rock-climbing; Flow
• ISSN: 1046-1310; 1936-4733
• DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01593-y

Mindfulness is a meditative practice that has received increasing attention within positive psychology as an effective tool to increase wellbeing and decrease anxiety. Previous research has demonstrated that rock-climbers have a higher endorsement of mindfulness and life satisfaction than the general population; yet to date, no research has empirically explored the relationship between mindfulness and rock-climbing. In the current study fifty-nine participants ( x ¯ = 20.63, SD = 1.60) were asked to complete measures of mindfulness, wellbeing and anxiety before and after participating in an ‘intervention’. The intervention consisted of a mindfulness activity followed by either indoor bouldering (a form of rock-climbing) versus a physical activity control. A mixed ANOVA revealed that participation in bouldering increased the measure of mindfulness significantly more than the control activity; however, no significant group differences were found for the measures of wellbeing and anxiety. A regression analysis then revealed that group condition accounted for 33% of the variance in post-intervention mindfulness levels when controlling for baseline levels of mindfulness. This is the first study to experimentally demonstrate that engagement with rock-climbing increases mindfulness in young adults. Theoretically, the results have implications for our understanding of “flow” and optimal human experience. Practically, the study highlights the potential to implement rock-climbing as a resilience-building activity and integrate the sport within therapeutic frameworks.