Deciding to get fit doesn’t mean you have to start walking or jogging. Why not try a rowing machine? If you come into the Canton Fitness Center, try a rowing workout.
Using a rowing machine can help to build and tone your muscles, strengthen your cardiovascular function and increase your stamina. Rowing machines are particularly effective for older fitness enthusiasts because they place no strain on your back and joints. One reference said that rowing just might be the most efficient exercise ever. "With each stroke, pretty much every part of the body is used," says Stella Lucia Volpe, an exercise physiologist and professor of nutrition sciences at Drexel University in Philadelphia and an avid rower. And it may let you skip crunches—for good. "A big part of rowing is core strength," she adds. "People think it's all arms, but rowing is much more legs and core." (Harper’s Bazaar 2014)
Next are cardiovascular benefits. Using a rowing machine is an endurance exercise that increases heart function and uses carbohydrates to provide the energy required to exercise. Keeping the rowing machine tension at a low level allows you to maintain a high rate of speed with little resistance in order to reach and maintain an aerobic state. Aerobic exercise improves lung, heart and circulation systems and is the cornerstone of an effective exercise routine, according to MayoClinic.com.
As mentioned above, rowing actually can help tone muscles. Rowing uses virtually every major muscle group in your body. With little pressure on the joints, due to the activity's low-impact nature, rowers work their legs, hips and buttocks with each stroke. They also use upper-body muscles, strengthening the back, shoulders and arms. The trunk and core are engaged in the exercise as the rower performs each stroke. You can adjust most rowing machines to create a tighter resistance to increase the rate at which you build muscle.
Finally, rowing provides excellent stress reduction. MayoClinic.com reports that physical activity stimulates pleasure centers in the brain. Cardiovascular workouts, in particular, increase the amount of endorphins released in the body, which can reduce stress and even lift feelings of depression.
If you are looking for any of these benefits that rowing provides, come in and try out the new Concept2 rowing machine at the Canton Fitness Center. This is the same rower that is featured on the Crossfit Games! We look forward to seeing you and helping you reach your health and fitness goals.
(Information adapted from Harper’s Bazaar.“Rowing is the new Spinning.” Sep 16, 2014 and LIVESTRONG.COM. Jan 28, 2015. “Benefits of Rowing Machines”.)