Perched 40 feet high on a vertical slice of granite, a woman sighs in exasperation while searching desperately for a handhold. Her fingers claw frantically at a wall that remains steadfastly indifferent to her efforts-its cool slickness infuriating her. “I can’t do it!” she screams.”Yes you can, Pam,” echoes a reassuring retort from below. Scott, the instructor, has seen this before. “Just take your time,” he says. “We’re not in any hurry down here. Trust your feet and trust the rope.”Pam’s right leg starts to burn and quiver uncontrollably. She has been standing on a pimple-sized protrusion of crystal for what seems like hours. Activities such as rock climbing, which are as cerebral as physical, require tremendous concentration and problem-solving skills, even after the basics of the sport are mastered “Elvis, shake it! You’re the King!” howls Scott. A chorus of laughter erupts from below. For a moment, the tension eases-allowing Pam to think again. Suddenly she notices a tiny hook of rock just out of reach. Slowly, Pam inches up the wall with her left foot and balances on what seems like nothing. Straightening her leg slowly, she grabs at the nub with her right hand and catches the elusive tip. Using all her strength, Pam faithfully pulls herself up. Exhausted, but jubilant, she pauses for a moment to savor her victory. Not only has she defied gravity; she has defied her own expectations.Pam, like many, is a creature of habit and routine. Her regular workout routine consists of running on the same trails in the beautiful mountain preserve near her home. Feeling inspired one day to do something different, Pam signed up for a 40-hour rock-climbing intensive. In doing so, she has proved to herself that trying new things can be much more than a respite from a rut-it can be good for the body, mind, and soul. Tone the body Engaging in a new or unfamiliar activity can be an excellent form of cross training. By working different body parts with new exercises, cross training has the power to build strength, increase flexibility, and reduce the likelihood of overuse injuries. “Cross training is essential in order to facilitate complete cardiovascular and musculoskeletal fitness,” says Colleen Cronin, physical therapist at Phoenix Baptist Hospital and a competitive athlete for more than 15 years. For Pam, a trail runner with weak arms and shoulders, climbing has been a superb cross-training exercise because of its upper-body emphasis. “It was the first time my fingers ever got a workout,” she chuckles.Hone the mindLearning new skills can be a great way to sharpen the mind because cognitive workouts, according to researchers, can help keep our brains healthy. Activities such as rock climbing, which are as cerebral as physical, require tremendous concentration and problem-solving skills, even after the basics of the sport are mastered. Dr. Robert Friedland, author of a recent study on Alzheimer’s disease, reported at the American Academy of Neurology’s 52nd annual meeting that people with mentally challenging or physically demanding hobbies were three times less likely to contract the memory-wasting disease as their less active counterparts. Meet new folks Car, computer, treadmill, TV… are these the names of your best friends? Isolation has become a bona fide problem in a society where people spend more time interacting with machines than with members of their own species. Trying something new can be an effective and satisfying way to rejoin the human race. In addition, “People who feel lonely and isolated have a 300 to 500 percent increased risk of premature death and disease,” states physician and popular author Dean Ornish.Get ego strokes For those who aren’t prodigies, learning a new skill requires tolerating discomfort. There is a fear of failure. Awkward feelings. When we forge ahead anyway, the barriers of self-defined limitations are broken. Often, we emerge tired and sore but with a renewed strength. It is several months after the class, and Pam is safely ensconced in a local java backdrop, sipping her favorite drink. She has returned to the comfort of the familiar, but feels different. “Climbing opens your mind to what you can do if you take risks,” she says, “You feel that if you can do this, you can do anything.” We all have the power to take a risk and expand our minds. To climb out of our ruts-from the ordinary into the extraordinary-is simply a matter of realizing the value of doing it. And believing we can!
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