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5 Reasons to Try Rowing

Posted by Mairead Callahan, RDN, CPT on September 1, 2015
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5 Reasons to Try Rowing | Mairead Callahan, RDN, CPT | Improving Health blogRowing is by no means a new type of workout, but it has certainly been gaining some momentum as a popular fitness class.

Some people are even referring to rowing as the new spinning!

In the past, the rowing machine has not been the star of your local gym. More likely it was hidden in a corner and did not see much action.

Today, the rowing machine has moved up in the fitness world and into the fitness-class studio.

More and more people are getting excited about rowing classes — and for good reason.

1. Rowing is a total body workout, when done correctly.

With the proper form, rowing works about 85 percent of your muscles. 

Every stroke works your claves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs, obliques, pecs, biceps, triceps, deltoids, upper back and lats.  

Full. Body. Workout.

2. Rowing is a high intensity, low impact workout.

It gives you a killer workout bringing your heart rate up and working your muscles, without putting a lot of stress on your joints.

Every muscle group in your body is essentially working, so your heart rate is elevated.

3. Rowing is a both a cardio AND a strength training workout.

Rowing machines allow you to change the resistance to tailor the strength training intensity of your workout.

With less resistance, you will get mostly a cardio workout, but as the resistance is added, the strength training benefits are increased.

4. It is a very efficient workout.

One 50-minute rowing class can burn up to 1,200 calories — much more than a spinning class.

If you only have a half hour to spend at the gym, rowing is a great way to get a full-body workout and burn a significant amount of calories.

5. Anyone can do it.

It doesn’t matter what age you are, or what condition your knees are in. Anyone can do this low-impact exercise!

Adjust your rowing speed and resistance to fit your current fitness level!

Conclusion

People are starting to realize just how efficient a rowing workout is and they are very excited about it. Move over spinning, there is a new popular class in the fitness studio.

Photo credit: Laura D'Alessandro [CC BY 2.0]
Mairead Callahan, RDN, CPT

About The Author

Mairead Callahan, RDN, CPT

Mairead is a registered dietitian, media personality, and founder of the popular health and wellness blog "My Healthy Ending." She studied Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, completed her supervised practice at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. Mairead’s philosophy is grounded in the power of whole foods, plant-based nutrition, and an active lifestyle.

Post Topics Fitness