There are two particularly good bouldering places in Newcastle: The Valley (Ouseburn) and The Pool (Byker), and both are under the same company so if you make an account with one, you can use both. This has made exercising even easier, as they are around a 20-minute walk from my second-year house, so I can get my steps in as well.
Despite climbing being one of the easiest activities to start, there’s a few things you must keep in mind. Firstly, bend your legs when you land after jumping/falling off the wall, because it will hurt and you will land flat on your face (speaking from experience). Secondly, make sure that the shoes you buy or borrow from the centre aren’t too small - they will be snug, but there is a fine line between that and uncomfortable. You should also make sure to buy chalk (or have a friend that you can steal from).
The more I go, the more confident I feel in my ability, and this confidence boosts me in other aspects of my life.
Climbing positively impacts my mental health as well, as the more I go, the more confident I feel in my ability, and this confidence boosts me in other aspects of my life. I also try to make it a social activity as I usually go with my friends or boyfriend; I always prefer to climb with someone else, as it boosts my morale even when I’m failing miserably at a wall.
I would definitely recommend climbing at uni, and there is the climbing society which I have recently joined. I can also guarantee you will know someone who will go with you as - for some reason, everyone at Newcastle Uni seems to know at least one person who is a climber!