Row Yourself Fit!

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Rowing, one of the oldest sports around, is rapidly gaining popularity in the fitness world. Indoor rowing classes are popping up at many local fitness centers and receiving rave reviews. The good news is that rowing is not just a trend but a very effective exercise.

Why Try Indoor Rowing?
 
Anyone Can Do It -- Indoor rowing classes are designed to bring the benefits of rowing to the masses. Participants range in age from 10-94, consist of all different body types and athletic abilities.
 
Total Body -- The biggest myth about rowing is that it is an upper body workout. Rowing works 9 major muscle groups: quads, hamstrings, glutes, lats, core, shoulders, triceps, back and biceps. In addition rowing is an amazing cardio workout.
 
Josh Crosby, indoor rowing, rowing, Indo-Row, group fitness, exerciseLow Impact – Rowing is great for injury prevention, rehab and runners because it is a low impact alternative to other activities. For those who are overweight, the sliding seat displaces ones weight so the load on their body is less and they can make a smooth transition to other activities as the weight comes off.
 
Team Work – Rowing in a group setting provides a huge motivational booster through the community spirit. Classes are taught with the same team mentality you find in an actual boat, racing together.
 
Easy to Learn – The basics of indoor rowing can be learned in 10 minutes or less.
 
You’re In Control – Resistance is created by how hard you push or pull, so you control the level of your own workout. Some rowing machines actually use 17-liters of water to give you the resistance similar to being on a boat. Simply, the harder you push and pull, the faster the water moves and the more resistance you feel. Your time and pace improves as you row harder.
 
Calorie Burn – In the average rowing class, people burn between 400-800 calories in a little less than an hour.
 
Measurement Is Motivation – Typically indoor rowing machines have monitors displaying your total time, distance, calories, and pace. This allows you to actually know if you are getting. Having milestones provides motivation to continue working hard.

Rowing workouts can be done on your own or as part of a group exercise class, similar to spinning. Classes are a great place to start if you are new to rowing. The instructor will help you with setup and using correct form. Classes are set up in intervals and usually followed by a strengthening exercise off the rower. Rowers stay in sync with each other but are all working at different levels. Unlike spinning, which only has resistance in one direction, rowing has resistance in both directions; making you much stronger and increases the caloric burn.

Not interested in a class or do not have access to one? Try alternating easy rowing for 2-3 minutes with 1 minute of all out effort. Repeat that 3-5 times depending your desired length of time. If you typically exercise for 30 minutes you may want to try rowing for half the length of time. Make sure to play some great music to make it fun.

As with any workout regimen, you should always check with your doctor before trying a new activity.

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