Top 10 Benefits Of Rowing

As well as sheer enjoyment, there are many benefits to being involved in rowing, including improving your cardiovascular fitness, achieving goals and enjoying the company of others. Here are our top 10 reasons why you should get into rowing.

Fitness through rowing

One of the main benefits of rowing is improved fitness. Rowing is a total body workout, using all of the body’s major muscle groups (arms, legs, back, abdomen, and buttocks) making rowing a superb aerobic and resistance training conditioner.

Solo or social rowing

Rowing is great if you are interested in solo sports and just relaxing and training by yourself. Equally, joining in with others can be a great way to build lifelong friendships.

Rowing as a stress buster

Rowing is a great way to release the stresses of the day by providing both a stress busting physical workout, as well as enjoying the calming effect of tranquil outdoor waters.

Weight loss through rowing

Rowing is a great calorie burner and combined with healthy eating, will help shed pounds as it conditions the muscles, and therefore increases your metabolism. Research has shown that rowing burns calories faster than biking at the same perceived level of exertion.

Rowing teamwork

Rowers who take part with others, as a member of a team have to learn to be an integral part of that team; rowing in synchronisation with the others. It is a great feeling when achievements are made and your team effort has played a vital role in that success.

Rowing: a sport for life

Rowing is a lifelong sport than can be performed and enjoyed at any age. It is not like some high impact sports that you may have to give up once wear and tear take its toll!

Rehabilitation through rowing

One benefit of rowing you may not be aware of is Although a strenuous workout, rowing is low impact on the joints, so if you are recovering from an injury, rowing provides the perfect cardiovascular and muscle toning workout with minimal impact.

Improved rowing flexibility

Rowing exercises muscles through a wider range of motion compared to other activities — muscles are stretched and the joints move to a greater extent — thereby promoting flexibility and mobility.

Back strengthening

While the legs provide most of the power of the rowing stroke, the upper body adds the rest and rowing is one of the few aerobic activities that can condition and strengthen the back.

Rowing versatility whatever the weather

Rowing is a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors. However, if the weather does take a turn for the worse, you can always perfect your rowing technique either in the gym or at home using a rowing machine.