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This low-impact, full-body workout builds strength and stamina while reducing stress
Over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed growing crowds around your gym’s rowing machines, also known as “ergs.” Long and low, the machines are usually stashed along a wall or in a corner. And while they used to collect dust, they’re now seeing plenty of action. That’s because rowing has a reputation as a great form of exercise, a total body workout that can up your cardio game.
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If you live near a body of water, the real thing’s a great option. But using a rowing machine isn’t a poor substitute. In fact, you may even get a better workout rowing indoors!
We talked to exercise physiologist Chris Dempers, ACSM EP-C, to learn more about the benefits of using rowing machines, how to use one properly and how to avoid injury.
Like running or a session on an elliptical, rowing is a full-body workout. But unlike those activities, you don’t have to stand to do it. That means less pressure on your legs and more work for your upper body.
There are four basic motions in a single stroke: The catch, the drive, the finish and the recovery. Dempers breaks down the basics with a step-by-step guide to each:
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Using the damper (a lever on the side of the flywheel), you can adjust the amount of airflow into the flywheel which, in turn, affects how much tension you pull. The higher the airflow, the more tension you get, which means a heavier workout.
But like every other exercise, you need to make sure you follow the proper form when rowing to get the full benefits and protect yourself from injury. Make sure you:
If you don’t keep that proper form, Dempers warns that rowing could lead to issues in both your upper and lower back, as well as back spasms. Shoulder issues are also a risk if you’re pulling higher on your body, like toward your chin instead of your chest.
Keeping these tips in mind will help you maximize your workout and feel good, if a little tired, every time you step off the rowing machine.
While repeating the same four-step sequence over and over again may seem simple, it provides one heck of a workout.
“Rowing has an aerobic aspect and a strength aspect,” Dempers states. “Especially when you adjust the tension of the machine for a heavier pull — that works out your legs in a big way.”
Your back also gets a workout as you shift back and forth on your pulls. “Working on the strength in your upper back adds a postural element to rowing,” he continues. “That’s really important because so many people have to spend their days staring down at computers or phones. Improving that upper spine posture is crucial.”
And don’t forget your core! Your abdominal muscles, lower back, obliques, glutes and hamstrings all get a workout during a session on a rowing machine. If you follow proper form, your core will be engaged during every single step of the rowing process. Strengthening those muscles is also key to maintaining stability and building speed.
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Just going over the motions involved, you’re probably realizing that a full-body workout like rowing can yield big-time benefits for your bod. Here are just a few of them.
“Rowing’s up there in terms of burning calories,” Dempers says. “I’d rank it below running but above an elliptical machine.” Your speed, intensity and resistance all affect how many calories you burn, but it’s a good workout no matter how hard you go.
One of the big benefits of rowing is that it’s a low-impact experience, giving joints a much-needed break. “Because it’s a resistance exercise done in a seated position, you’re not putting as much wear and tear on your back and knees,” shares Dempers.
But he clarifies that you’re not sacrificing your cardio exercises by choosing rowing over a high-impact activity like running.
“If you’re strictly looking at it as an aerobic exercise to replace something like running, then you can exercise on an erg for half an hour and get a great cardio workout,” he says. Your heart and lungs with thank you.
If you struggle with arthritis, you’ve probably heard the phrase “motion is lotion.” It’s true! Staying active helps relieve pain and stiffness while improving joint motion and torque.
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You may not think about the way you carry yourself as a strength thing, but it is. Strong core and back muscles help maintain your posture and reduce pressure on your spinal column. And — while the brain is crucial to balance and coordination — so are our muscles. They help us react quickly and prevent falls.
Catch, drive, finish, recover. Catch, drive, finish, recover. Whether you do it on the serene lake, in a quiet corner of the gym or from the comfort of your home, the repetitive nature of rowing can have a meditative effect. Add that to the stress-relieving benefits of physical activity and you’ve got yourself a natural mood booster.
You control the speed and intensity of a rowing session, which makes it both beginner-friendly and safe for people of all fitness levels. The machine being low to the ground also minimizes the danger (and fear!) of falling. For that reason, rowing is a particularly good choice for older people, those living with visual impairments and people with health conditions like postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS).
Rowing machines are accessible in other ways, too. They aren’t cheap, but because they offer a full-body workout and variable resistance, they can take the place of multiple specialty machines. Yes, you’ll still need ample space (most rowers are about 8 feet long, though usually no wider than your body). But — while some ergs can be heavy — most are lightweight enough to move or stow away, a big advantage over hefty treadmills and elliptical machines that live in one place.
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Because rowing gives you such a good cardio workout, it’s also flexible in terms of how you fit it into your routine. If you don’t want to make it a long workout as mentioned, you can do short intervals between other exercises to keep your heart rate up.
“I think that’s the appeal to rowing,” Dempers notes, “you can do it as one long workout or incorporate it into a larger routine, hopping on and off for short bursts. After you do a quick hit, you can easily switch to doing something else, like push-ups or kettlebell swings, then come right back.”
Variety may be the spice of life, but sometimes, you just want to settle into an easy, reliable routine. If that sounds like you, rowing might be exactly the combination cardio and strength training activity you’ve been looking for.
But fitness buffs won’t be satisfied just working out on a rowing machine. That’s because indoor rowing doesn’t require you to use each of the three planes of motion.
The three planes of motion are:
Indoor rowing, like many popular exercises, only requires movement on the sagittal plane. So, you may want to do other activities, too — like yoga or calisthenics — that involve moving in the coronal and transverse planes. Or try rowing in an actual boat, which involves all three planes of motion.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends we each get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week. Just like a treadmill, bike or elliptical, an indoor rowing machine lets you decide the intensity of your workouts.
How much and how often you should use your rowing machine depends on whether you do other forms of physical activity.
For now, let’s assume the rowing machine is where you get all of your exercise. In that case, you should try to build up to 20 minutes of moderate-intensity rowing a day. As your stamina improves, can play around with the duration and frequency of your sessions. Maybe you prefer a 50-minute, three-time-a-week approach, for example.
Keep in mind that if you’re new to rowing, you may need to start slow in order to maintain proper form. Once you’ve got that down, you’ll need to build strength and endurance over time. And that’s OK. In fact, it’s necessary, for reasons we’ll return to in a bit.
Any physical activity is good physical activity, so if you can only manage five minutes a day on your rowing machine, supplement with other kinds of exercise, so you get (or get as close as possible) to that 150-minute mark.
Because it’s a full-body workout, the time you spend on an erg translates to visible results pretty quickly — as in within a couple of weeks of starting a consistent rowing practice.
Just be sure to set realistic goals for yourself. Fitness is a process. And if you’re new to rowing machines, it’ll take time to refine your form. Muscle develops slowly over months regardless of the kind of strength training you do. And if you’re hoping to shed a few pounds, keep in mind that the CDC says losing a maximum of two pounds a week is the healthiest and most sustainable approach to weight loss.
Patience is a virtue, but you won’t need much of it. The results you can’t see in a mirror, like increased energy and stamina, will show up quickly. So, go ahead and row, row, row your (land) boat!
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