Rowing machines or 'rowers' are intended to simulate the sport of rowing, and they're one of the best body building, fat-burning workouts that you can devise. The best point is that you do it sitting down, so rowing machines don't put stress on your hip, knee, or ankle joints. Rowing on a rower is a tough workout. The frequent pulling and stretching is great for firming your stomach muscles, trimming your backside and toning your limbs. You will not necessarily lose weight, but you will convert flab into muscle. Rowing will definitely build up strength. A vigorous row can be a huge strength booster. Rowing hard at high resistance will increase shoulder size, making you broader and more physically imposing. When using a rowing machine your movements are long and sweeping, which is great for maintaining flexibility. Make sure that you warm up and down properly and don't over-extend yourself when you first start using your rower or it can lead to muscle strains.
Types of Rowing Machine
All types of indoor rowing machines create resistance to your movements and most machines let you increase and decrease the level of resistance. The main types of rowing machine are as follows :
| Hydraulic Resistance Hydraulic piston rowers are typically entry level rowing machines built for those on a tight budget. They offer the least realistic rowing experience but.if you want a budget rowing exercise machine for well under £200 then these are a sensible economical choice. |
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Air Resistance This type of rowing machine uses air pressure to simulate the resistance experienced when rowing a boat on the open water. The faster and harder that you row, the more the resistance increases. Row more gently and the resistance lessens. Air rowers tend to be fairly noisy as there is a constant woosh of air flowing and flywheel spinning. |
| Water Resistance Combined with the gentle movement of water, rowing equipment of this type actually uses water pressure to give the most accurate simulation of rowing in the home environment. Some water resistance type rowers can be pretty noisy whereas others have a really soothing effect. All rowing machines of this type offer a low impact workout with an unlimited range of resistance. |
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Magnetic Resistance Magnetic Resistance rowing machines are the quietest of all the different types of rowing machine, offering an almost silent workout. If noise is likely to be a problem, for example if certain other people want to watch television or do their homework whilst you are working out, then opt for a magnetic resistance rower. A further advantage of this type of rowing machine is that it comes without the large flywheel seen on all other types of rowing machine making storage much easier. |
Many rowing machines have an LCD digital readout giving you useful information – your stroke rate, total distance rowed, elapsed time and so on.
Will it fit my home?
Rowing machines are surprisingly compact, and many are light in weight - you can lean them against a wall or store them inside a cupboard when not in use. Some are designed to fold too, making them even more compact.
What are the costs?
Basic folding rowing machines are great value, and will give you a safe, fat-burning workout at a surprisingly low cost. However, to add interest to your workout, consider higher spec models with a range of resistance and programmes so that you can vary your routine and build steady fitness over time. You'll be surprised how little they cost compared to the cost of a basic model.
Do I need to be fit before I can begin using a rowing machine?
Certainly not!. It's true that serious rowers are amongst the fittest of athletes, but rowing machines are designed to offer you a gentle start. With low-impact, low-resistance strokes you can increase things at your own pace. And because you row sitting down, it's definitely not as painful as running, especially if you're not in tip-top condition. There you have it. There is a huge range of rowing machines on the market, so take a look at the selection from our favourite marketplace Ebay below.