Breathing for Climbing
Breathe through the crux — calm on the wall
Climbing combines sustained isometric holds (forearms, core) with acute fear responses (exposure, falling). The tendency to hold your breath during difficult moves — the breath-hold instinct — is the enemy. Held breath increases blood pressure, accelerates forearm pump, and amplifies the fear response. Learning to breathe through crux sequences is the single biggest mental game improvement a climber can make.
The protocol: exhale on the hard move. Just as martial artists kiai on strikes and weightlifters exhale on the press, climbers should initiate difficult moves on an exhale. The exhale reduces intra-thoracic pressure, keeps blood flowing to the forearms (delaying pump), and prevents the sympathetic spike that causes overgripping.
Between climbs, recovery breathing accelerates forearm recovery. Extended exhale breathing (inhale 4, exhale 8) for 3-5 minutes between burns diverts blood from the muscles to recovery processes through parasympathetic activation. Combine with arm shaking and elevation for fastest recovery. The faster you recover, the more quality attempts you get in a session.
Benefits
- Sport-specific breathing protocols designed for climbing demands
- Faster recovery between efforts through active parasympathetic breathing
- Reduced competitive anxiety and improved composure under pressure
- Improved oxygen efficiency and delayed fatigue onset
- Free guided timer — practice anywhere, no equipment needed
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should athletes practice breathing exercises?
Daily: 5-10 minutes of coherence or box breathing to build baseline respiratory fitness. Pre-competition: 2-3 minutes of sport-specific breathing routine. Between efforts: active recovery breathing during natural breaks. Consistency is key — the nervous system adaptations build over weeks of daily practice.
Can breathing improve climbing performance?
Yes. Breathing exercises improve oxygen efficiency, reduce recovery time between efforts, manage competitive anxiety, and enhance focus under pressure. The effects are measurable: reduced heart rate variability, faster lactate clearance, and improved fine motor control.
Should I breathe through my nose or mouth during climbing?
At low to moderate intensity, nasal breathing improves CO2 tolerance and oxygen extraction. At high intensity, mouth breathing is necessary for adequate ventilation. The crossover point varies by fitness level. Train nasal breathing at low intensity to raise the threshold where you need to switch to mouth breathing.
Related Breathing Exercises