5 Reasons Why You Should Try Rowing Today

Are you looking to start exercising, but feel short on time? Do you dread the thought of spending hours on the treadmill? Are you looking for an exercise that is fun and easy on the joints? Are you looking for an exercise that’s suitable for a beginner, but can also be challenging to a seasoned pro?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I invite you to try Rowing.
 
You might have seen them in the Olympics. Those competitive Rowers with their upright perfect posture and toned arms blasting their boats in unison. While these professional athletes spend their lifetime fine-tuning their rowing skills, thankfully for the rest of us, we still can reap the amazing benefits of this sport with indoors rowing machines.
 
Below are 5 reasons to consider rowing and it’s advantages:
 
It’s a low impact exercise:
One of the best advantages of using a rowing machine is the minimal stress it places on joints like ankles, knees, hips, back and shoulders. Since the feet are constantly on the pads throughout the exercise, shock and impact are minimized. This makes this type of exercise a good option to consider if you are not comfortable yet with weight-bearing exercises like walking on the treadmill. Keep in mind that proper form is key to help insure safety, so make sure you learn the proper form when using a rower.
 
It’s an upper and lower body workout:
The rowing motion is comprised of 4 stages that utilizes upper and lower body muscles:
Catch: This is the starting position where the legs are in a squatted position, back is upright, and arms fully extended.
Drive: The powerful leg muscles will fire up to fully extend the knees and the core will facilitate the transfer of power to the upper back and arms.
Finish: The shoulders and arms will finish the move by fully contracting the biceps and upper back muscles which will bring the handle back to the torso. Lower back and core are engaged to insure upright posture.
Recovery: This is the motion of returning back to the starting position. Your hip flexors and hamstrings will fire up to bring your body back to the starting position. Your upper body will relax and stretch out your arms in the meantime.
 
Endurance and Stamina Booster:
Rowing might feel like a tough exercise at first, especially if you have not been active recently. However, rowing is a great option to help you improve endurance since it can be done at a much lower speed and intensity to accommodate all fitness levels. With time and consistency, you will start to notice significant increases in your energy and your ability to do more demanding activities with ease.
 
Great for Weight Loss:
When it comes to weight loss, burning calories is essential to helping you lose weight and keeping it off. At an impressive rate of 11 calories per minute* rowing can be a serious calorie-busting, fat-burning exercise. Couple that with healthy sensible eating and adequate sleep and you can start to see the scale tipping in the right direction. Plus, you are going to feel a whole lot better!
 
Very easy to use:
One of the best qualities of rowing machines is their simplicity and ease of use. Strap your feet in and your are set to go. That’s it! No complicated buttons to fumble with or confusing settings to guess.
 
So whether you are starting to workout again, or have been exercising routinely and looking for something fresh to challenge you, I invite you to try rowing today. It might be your next favorite exercise machine!
 
* Based on 175lb adult at a moderate 25+ strokes per minute rate. The heavier you are the higher will be your calorie burn rate and vice versa.
 
Happy Healthy Training!
Your Trainer,