Module Health Optimizing PE 4

6 ROCK CLIMBING

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, the learners should be able to:

1. Self – assess health-related fitness (HFT) status, barriers to physical activity assessment participation and one’s
diet (PEH12FH-Ig-i-6) 2.
2. Analyzes physiological indicators such as heart rate, rate of perceived exertion and pacing associated with
MVPAs to monitor and/or adjust participation or effort (PEH12FH-IIk-t-9)

Introduction

Rock climbing is the sport or activity rock faces, especially with the aid of ropes and special equipment. The
concept is to reach an end point, or a summit of a rock face or structure. This can be done with specific equipment,
depending on the difficulty and severity of the climb.

It is a physically demanding sport that combines fitness and agility with the mental fortitude required to conquer
an ascension or traverse. It can be perilous, but that is often considered a positive aspect of the adventure.

Historical paintings and evidence suggest that humans have been climbing mountains since at least 400 BCE. The
fifteenth-century Chinese painting Poet on a Mountaintop by Shen Zhou, depicts an elderly man standing atop a
mountain which can only be inferred that he climbed, but rock climbing in its earliest forms wasn’t done for sport – it
was done from necessity.

ROCK CLIMBING
Rock climbing is an activity in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial
rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling.

Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport, one

that often tests a climber’s strength endurance, agility and balance
along the mental control. It can be a dangerous sport and knowledge of
proper climbing techniques and usage of specialized climbing
equipment is crucial for the safety completion of routes. Because of the
wide range of and variety of rock formations around the world, rock
climbing had been separated into several different styles and sub-
disciplines.

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FIVE BASIC TYPES OF CLIMBING

BASIC SKILL DESCRIPTION PICTURE
Top-roping is a great entry point into roped
rock climbing. Falls are seldom serious because
the rope always does its job of catching you
minimizing risk of injury. Traditional top-roping
TOP-ROPING
requires that another person assists you as you
climb. –A belayer, who is responsible for
feeding you rope and lowering you as you
descend your route.
This style of climbing is extremely versatile,
offering a range of difficulties as well as a
range of route-lengths. Lead and sport
LEAD/SPORT CLIMBING
climbers predominantly focus on the moves
and techniques they use to get to their
destination rather than the destination itself.
Traditional climbing is all about the holistic
experience and the mental game that
accompanies these climbs. Routes sent

TRADITIONAL CLIMBING traditionally do not have fixed anchors

permanently bolted into the wall/crag. Instead,
the climber is responsible for inserting
protection into cracks in the rock
Big wall climbing is traditional climbing
multiplied exponentially. Big wall Climbs are
not for the faint of heart – any kind of
climbing, because of gravity, is dangerous in its
BIG WALL CLIMBING
very nature, but big wall climbs are certainly
the most perilous. Of course, proper
precautions can always be made to keep
climbers safe – to a certain extent.
Bouldering is essentially a scaleddown version
of sport climbing. That is, repeated falling is
expected, and the climb is all about the moves

BOULDERING and technique. Bouldering, aside from being

relatively safe, is popular for another reason
it’s far less expensive than other forms of
climbing because it involves minimal gear.

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EQUIPMENT USED IN ROCK CLIMBING

NAME OF EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION PICTURE

This is the single most important type of rock-
climbing equipment. Climbing ropes link
CLIMBING ROPES
together the entire safety chain and can save
your life if you slip and fall.
If you have a climbing rope, you need a safety
harness to tie it to! All harnesses have two

HARNESS front tie-in points where the climber can

thread the rope and tie it in – one at the waist
and one at the leg loops.
Climbing helmet is designed to cushion your
CLIMBING HELMET
head from falling rock and debris.
Climbing helmet is designed to cushion your
CLIMBING SHOES
head from falling rock and debris.
A belay device is one of the first pieces of
hardware a rock climber will buy. it’s
BELAY DEVICE
essentially a mechanical friction brake device
used to control the rope.
A carabiner, also known as a ‘biner, is a strong,
light ring which is used to connect the climbing
CARABINERS
rope with other pieces of climbing protection,
such as nuts, bolts and camming devices
A carabiner, also known as a ‘biner, is a strong,
light ring which is used to connect the climbing
CARABINERS
rope with other pieces of climbing protection,
such as nuts, bolts and camming devices
Chalk drastically improves your grip on the
rock by absorbing sweat and other forms of

CHALK/CHALK BAG moisture on your hands and skin. This not only
increases friction, it prevents chafing and
rubbing.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ROCK CLIMBING

1. It Strengthens Your Muscles While Being Low Impact
Indoor rock climbing uses virtually every major muscle group in your body, making it a great whole-
body alternative to pumping iron at the gym. You’ll use the large muscles in your arms and legs to pull your body
up the wall, while your abs work to keep you stable and balanced. Rock climbing is a low-impact exercise, which
means it is easier on your body, particularly your joints, while still being a great full-body workout.

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2. It Improves Your Flexibility

All the reaching, stretching, and climbing that’s involved with scaling an indoor climbing wall can
dramatically improve your overall flexibility and range of motion, which in turn helps give your body a lean,
toned appearance.
3. It Challenges your Cardiovascular System
Climbing up an indoor course is hard work, which means your heart rate will be boosted from the
moment you step onto the first foothold right up until you touch the top. This can help increase your stamina,
burn calories, and strengthen your heart and lungs.
4. It Combats Chronic Disease
As with any type of vigorous exercise that’s done for 20 minutes or longer at a time, spending some
time at your local rock-climbing gym can help reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as
hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and even some forms of cancer.
Better yet, rock climbing has been shown to be an effective, all-natural way to battle back against the
damaging effects of chronic stress, thanks to the fact that scaling a wall leads to a real feel-good sense of
accomplishment—high-fives for everyone!
5. It Can Help Improve Coordination

If you’ve always struggled with physical coordination, indoor rock climbing may help you develop better
hand-eye coordination while increasing your sense of spatial awareness. Indoor rock climbing can boost your
cognitive and problem-solving skills because to reach the top of the wall, you need to carefully plan your
movements, and this can translate to real-world improvements with your day-to-day activities.

SOME BARRIERS THAT MAY AFFECT PARTICIPATION IN ROCK CLIMBING

Many technological advances and conveniences that have made our lives easier and less active, many
personal variables, including physiological, behavioral, and psychological factors, may affect our plans to become more
physically active. Understanding common barriers to physical activity and creating strategies to overcome them may
help make physical activity part of daily life. People experience a variety of personal and environmental barriers to
engaging in regular physical activity.

1. Personal Barriers

With technological advances and conveniences, people’s lives have in many ways become increasingly
easier, as well as less active. In addition, people have many personal reasons or explanations for being inactive.
The most common reasons adults don't adopt more physically active lifestyles are:

• insufficient time to exercise

• inconvenience of exercise
• lack of self-motivation, encouragement, support or companionship from family and friends.
• non-enjoyment of exercise
• lack of confidence in their ability to be physically active (low self-efficacy)
• fear of being injured or having been injured recently
• lack of self-management skills, such as the ability to set personal goals, monitor progressor reward progress
toward such goals.

2. Environmental Barriers

The environment in which we live has a great influence on our level of physical activity. Many factors in
our environment affect us. Obvious factors include the accessibility of walking paths, cycling trails, and
recreation facilities. Factors such as traffic, availability of public transportation, crime, and pollution may also
have an effect. Other environmental factors include our social environment, such as support from family and
friends, and community spirit. It is possible to make changes in our environment through campaigns to support
active transportation, legislation for safer communities, and the creation of new recreation facilities.

IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The Barriers to Being Physically Active Quiz was created by the centers for disease control and prevention to help
identify barriers to physical activity. It is a 21-item measure assessing the following barriers to physical activity: 1) lack of
time, 2) social influence, 3) lack of energy, 4) lack of willpower, 5) fear of injury, 6) lack of skill, and 7) lack of resources
(e.g., recreational facilities, exercise equipment). Each domain contains 3 items, with a total score range of 0 to 63.

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Respondents rate the degree of activity interference on a 4-point scale, ranging from 0 = “very unlikely” to 3 = “very
likely”.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS
While these barriers may hinder one’s participation in any physical activity, particularly in rock climbing,
there are also ways on how to overcome these barriers. This may include identifying your capacity and effort in
engaging to physical activities. The following are explanations which may help you understand more in
overcoming these barriers:

1. Lack of time to identify available time slots.

• Monitor your daily activities for one week. Identify at least three- 30-minute tome slots you could use for
physical activity.
• Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride your bike to work or shopping, organize
school activities around physical activity, walk the dog, exercise while you watch TV, park farther away from
your destination, etc.
• Select activities requiring minimal time, such as walking, jogging, or stair climbing.

2. Social Influence

• Explain your interest in physical activity friends and family. Ask them to support your efforts.
• Invite friends and family members to exercise with you. Plan social activities involving exercise.
• Develop new friendships with physically active people. Join a group, such as the YMCA or a hiking club.

3. Lack of Energy

• Schedule physical activity for times in the day or week when you feel energetic.
• Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will increase your energy level; then, try it.

4. Fear of injury

• Learn how to warm up and cool down to prevent injury.

• Learn how to exercise appropriately considering your age, fitness level, skill level and health status.
• Choose activities involving minimum risk.

5. Lack of skill

• Select activities requiring no new skills, such as walking, climbing stairs or jogging.
• Take a class to develop new skills.

6. Lack of resources

• Select activities that require minimal facilities or equipment, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or
calisthenics.
• Identify inexpensive, convenient resources available in your community (community education program, park
and recreation programs, worksite programs etc.)

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH 12

Third Quarter
Second Semester, S.Y. 2022-2023

Learning Activity Sheet

MODULE 6
Name: ____________________________________________ Section: __________________ Strand: ___________________

Barriers to Being Active Quiz

What keeps you from being more active?

Directions: Listed below are reasons that people give to describe why they do not get as much physical activity as they
think they should. Please read each statement and indicate how much likely you are to say each of the following
statements: How likely are you to say?
Somewhat Somewhat Very
Questions Very likely
likely unlike unlikely
1. My day is so busy now; I just don’t think I can make time to
include physical activity in my regular schedule.
2. None of my family members or friends like to do anything
active, so I don’t have a chance to exercise.
3. I’m just too tired after work to get any exercise.
4. I’ve been thinking about getting more exercise, but I just can’t
seem to get started.
5. I’m getting older so exercise can be risky.
6. I don’t get enough exercise because I have never learned the
skills for any sport.
7. I don’t have access to jogging trails, swimming pools, bike
paths, etc.
8. Physical activity takes too much time from other
commitments – time, work, family, etc.
9. I’m embarrassed about how I will look when I exercise with
others.
10. I don’t get enough sleep as it is. I just couldn’t get up early or
stay up late to get some exercise.
11. It’s easier for me to find excuses not to exercise than to go
out to do something
12. I know of too many people who have hurt themselves by
overdoing it with exercise.
13. I really can’t see learning a new sport at my age.
14. It’s just too expensive. You have to take a class or join a club
or by the right equipment
15. My free times during the day are too short to include
exercise.
16. My usual social activities with family or friends do not
include physical activities.
17. I’m too tired during the week and I need the weekend to
catch up on my rest.
18. I want to get more exercise, but I just can’t seem to make
myself stick to anything.
19. I’m afraid I might injure myself or have a heart attack
20. I’m not good enough at any physical activity to make it fun.
21. If we had exercise facilities and showers at work, then I
would be more likely to exercise.
Follow these instructions to score yourself:

• Enter the circled number in the spaces provided, putting together the number of statements 1 on line 1,
statement 2 on line 2, and so on.
• Add the three scores on each line. Your barriers to physical activity fall into one or more of seven categories: lack
of time, social influences, lack of energy, lack of willpower, fear of injury, lack of skill, and lack of resources. A
score of 5 or above in any category shows that this is an important barrier for you to overcome.

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1. What were your barriers to physical activity? Make your own plan activities to overcome these barriers.

2. What do you think are your personal barriers that would affect your participation in physical activities like rock
climbing?

3. Do you think that overcoming your personal barriers to physical activity would make you active and physically
fit?

4. What advantages can a rock climber gain if he or she manages to develop the different health related fitness
components?

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