Bouldering, a form of rock climbing, may not only help you build muscle and endurance, but also effectively treat symptoms of depression, a new study claims.<\/p>\n
The study by researchers, including those from the University of Arizona (UA) in the US, involved over 100 people in a bouldering intervention in Germany, where some hospitals have begun to use climbing as a therapeutic treatment.<\/p>\n
The participants were randomly split into two groups. One immediately began the intervention, while the other group had to wait to start bouldering, which involves climbing rocks or walls to a moderate height without ropes or a harness.<\/p>\n
Each participant bouldered for three hours a week over the course of eight weeks.<\/p>\n
The team measured the depression of group members at different points in the study using the Beck’s Depression Inventory, the most widely used instrument for detecting depression.<\/p>\n
Researchers found that during the therapy, the immediate intervention group’s Beck’s Depression scores improved by 6.27 points, but for the same time period the group that was initially wait-listed improved by only 1.4 points.<\/p>\n
This drop in score reflects an improvement of one severity grade from moderate to mild depression levels.<\/p>\n
“Bouldering, in many ways, is a positive physical activity,” said UA researcher Eva-Maria Stelzer.<\/p>\n
“There are different routes for your physical activity level, and there is a social aspect along with the feeling of an immediate accomplishment when bouldering,” said Stelzer.<\/p>\n
Depression is a severe illness. It is one of the most common mental disorders in the US and worldwide.<\/p>\n
Even though a variety of treatment options exist, less than one-third of people receive treatment for their symptoms, Stelzer said.<\/p>\n
For the study, most of the patients involved were new to bouldering.<\/p>\n
Also during the study, both groups were taught about how to cultivate positive social interactions and about meditation and mindfulness throughout the study.<\/p>\n
Stelzer explained that bouldering has a number of other important characteristics that make it especially beneficial for the treatment of depression, namely that it helps boost self-efficacy and social interactions – both of which hold innate benefits for dealing with depression.<\/p>\n
“Bouldering not only has strong mental components, but it is accessible at different levels so that people of all levels of physical health are able to participate,” she said.<\/p>\n
Source – The Economic Times<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n