Indoor rowing has become quite a buzzword lately, and rowing machines have found a strong foothold in all types of gyms and in the homes of fitness fanatics. And this is for good reason. Rowing is a powerhouse workout that deserves your consideration. Rowing offers a plethora of fitness benefits that can transform your body and mind, all while keeping your workout plan exciting and engaging.
Total-Body Torch
Gone are the days when rowing was seen as merely an arm workout. The truth is that rowing engages pretty much your entire body, from your calves to your shoulders. According to the American Fitness Professionals Association, a whopping 65%–75% of the rowing stroke power comes from your legs, and the remaining 25%–35% engages your upper body.
With every stroke, you aren’t just giving your arms a workout. You’re also activating your quadriceps, glutes, calves, pecs, arms, abs, and obliques. Nearly every part of your body is being engaged.
Regardless of your fitness level or physical abilities, rowing welcomes every individual. Of course, it’s important to understand what the body is doing while rowing and how to row with a proper form. But whether you’re an experienced athlete or just taking your first steps in a fitness journey, rowing can be suited to your needs.
Joint-Friendly Exercise
Rowing is great for people looking for low-impact exercises for their joints. Unlike high-impact exercises like running or plyometrics, rowing allows you to burn calories without burning out your joints with unnecessary stress. In fact, rowing is sometimes recommended to those with early stages of osteoarthritis.
Mindful Movement
While this can apply to other kinds of exercise machines, many people love rowing for its repetitive nature and the rhythm of rowing strokes. It’s repetitive enough to feel meditative but still requires focus to perform the strokes correctly. In other words, rowing requires you to be very much aware of what your body is doing. Unlike, for example, an exercise bike, you can’t just peddle while you concentrate on something else (which is also sometimes great!).
Champion for Both Cardio and Strength
As an impressive cardio exercise, rowing elevates your heart rate, strengthens your cardiovascular system, and increases your cardiovascular endurance.
But rowing isn’t just about endurance; it’s also about power and strength. By combining strength training and cardio, rowing builds both your power and your endurance, ensuring that your heart and muscles are primed for peak performance.
Efficient and Effective
Short on time? No problem. Because rowing works out your upper and lower body and can easily be used as a high-intensity workout (if you choose to make it so), this can be a great way to sneak in quick but efficient workouts. In just one session, you can engage major muscle groups, torch calories, and boost cardiovascular health. Typically, 10 to 15 minutes is all that’s needed for a full session.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can also be done on a rowing machine and can yield significant results. Just like with nearly all cardio machines, like ellipticals and exercise bikes, you can switch between moderate or low intensity and short explosions of energy.
Mastering the Stroke
As with any exercise, proper form is crucial for maximizing results and preventing injury. Focus on engaging your core, maintaining good posture, and coordinating your movements for a seamless stroke.
Avoid common pitfalls like rounding your shoulders or overexerting yourself. Remember that rowing really isn’t an arm exercise. Only about 10% of the stroke uses your arms. Rowing primarily works your legs, your core, and your back. So focus on those areas and not just on pulling with all your might!
Of course, you shouldn’t go out and purchase a rower without first being certain that you will use it and enjoy it. Go to a gym with rowing machines, or see if a friend owns one. Try it out for at least a month. You never know, rowing might just become your favorite way to get fit!
Namaste
