Over the past 10 years, North America has seen a massive increase in indoor rock-climbing
gyms, from 388 to 635 new gyms. With the growing increase in the sport, there is an increase in
accessibility to new demographics and skill levels. It is well known that physical exercise is
beneficial for both mental and physical health. Recent literature shows indoor rock climbing can
produce significant improvement in mental and somatic health over time. However, there is a
need for data on individuals with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) within this
space. Specifically, there is a need to identify and evaluate existing outcome measures used to
assess the impact of climbing on individuals with IDD, clarify which domains of health and well-
being are most affected by climbing interventions, and highlight gaps in methodology,
population inclusion, and outcome reporting to inform future research and practice. The purpose
of this review is to examine the literature on individuals with IDD who have participated in rock
climbing, focusing on outcome measures across domains of physical fitness and motor control,
mental health and cognition, occupational self‑efficacy, quality of life, mood states, and social
functioning. Using academic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar), articles were identified that
used both IDD and non-IDD subjects that have participated in rock climbing. On analysis and
comparison, we found common positive health and social benefits. However, many studies were
short in intervention length, contained small sample sizes, non-randomized designs, and lacked
standardized measures, demonstrating the need for further studies.
