Rowing: The perfect at-home workout routine

Pete Donohoe
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If there’s one activity that can alleviate so many of the tensions of being homebound right now, it’s physical fitness. Working out does wonders for your mental outlook, floods your body with endorphins, and keeps you motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle, no matter what the circumstances. Maybe you’ve had a home-based workout routine for some time, or perhaps you’re transitioning from gym workouts to working out at home. In any case, chances are you’re looking for ways to maintain a workout plan at home, and we have the perfect solution. Gone are the days of boring workouts consisting of push-ups, lunges, kettlebells, resistance bands, and burpees. When looking for a home-based workout routine, you probably want to focus on efficiency, space conservation, and the quality of the equipment you need to purchase. 

When it comes to checking all of these boxes, rowing is one of the best at-home workout routines there is. It’s a full-body workout, incorporates cardio and strength training in one machine that works 86% of the muscles in your body, and can be used by any fitness level – from beginners to seasoned athletes. It’s hard to find another piece of exercise equipment that offers all of that. Additionally, a rowing machine is smaller and more compact than many types of at-home fitness machines, and a high-quality model like the Hydrow is designed to be sleek and sophisticated enough to fit seamlessly into most homes. 

Now that working out at home has become a necessity rather than a luxury, a high-quality piece of fitness equipment like an at-home rowing machine is even more valuable. While it may seem like a large investment upfront, when you do the math, purchasing your own rowing machine actually costs less in the long run than a monthly gym membership. Let’s explore some of the other unique features of a rowing machine that make it the best choice when you’re looking to complete a workout program at home. 

Explore the Benefits of Rowing

It can be difficult to get a good cardio workout when you’re stuck indoors. Purchasing a piece of cardio equipment for the home may be the most helpful option so that you can keep up with your health and fitness routine, which is so important.

So if you’re looking to purchase a piece of fitness equipment that will allow you to maintain your workout routine at home, what should you choose? Rowing is a fantastic cardio workout that works for several major muscle groups with far less stress and impact on your joints compared to other physical activities. And unlike some bulky fitness machines, it’s smaller than most pieces of furniture, making it easy to find a spot for it no matter the size of your home. 

So, what benefits can you expect from a rowing machine? Rowing is such an efficient workout that you’d be better off asking yourself what benefits not to expect from this awesome piece of equipment. But read on for a list of what makes rowing such an excellent way to complete a workout routine at home, no matter your fitness level.

Full body workout – when you invest in a piece of fitness equipment in your home, you naturally want to choose one that offers you the most exercise efficiency. A rowing machine offers a full-body workout, unlike many other fitness machines, which work isolated parts of the body. A home rowing machine works 86% of the muscles in your body, including your lower body, arms, upper and lower back, core, and upper body.

Low impact – if trying a new fitness regimen makes you nervous because you’re worried about how your body will react, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by rowing. Rowing is a low impact exercise and puts little to no strain on the body. This feature makes rowing ideal for beginners, people with physical limitations or joint pain, seniors, or athletes concerned about the injury. Rowing has even been shown to benefit people recovering from an injury because it allows them to keep up their physical fitness and stamina without stressing the recovery process.

Cardio and strength training at the same time – this combination may seem like no big deal, but it can actually be tough to find a workout routine at home that checks both of these boxes. Because of the many muscle groups worked during a rowing workout, you are toning your muscles while simultaneously burning calories, which could help in your weight loss journey. 

Non-weight-bearing – despite being a great strength training tool, a rowing machine doesn’t require you to support your own bodyweight to enjoy its benefits. Many people who appreciate the low impact nature of a rowing machine find this feature a bonus as well.  

Easy on the joints – unlike some other low-impact fitness activities, rowing is also easy on the joints. A recumbent bike is a popular choice for many fitness beginners because they’re looking for a low impact activity. Although cycling is a low impact, the repetitive pedalling motion can be difficult for those with certain physical limitations, such as knee problems. Not only does a rowing machine not put stress or pressure on the joints, but rowing has actually been shown to improve knee problems, due to the strengthening of the rest of the legs with regular rowing, which takes the pressure off of the knees.

A Hydrow Rower Offers Community and Cardio

We’ve reached the point of our sheltering in place journey where even if you’re a bit of a homebody, you’re probably missing a certain degree of social interaction. Hydrow users are finding the community feature of their rowing machines more valuable than ever since it offers a way to stay motivated and in touch with other fitness enthusiasts, even if you can’t be together in real life. 

If you’re feeling a bit stuck in place at the moment, why not take advantage of the Life Outdoor Reality experience of a Hydrow rowing machine? Invigorating workouts led by a team of professional athletes make up a varied collection of rowing experiences, where stunning visuals and real-life sounds elevate your workout, bringing the water to you, wherever and whenever you want. 

When you become part of the Hydrow family, you can look to our world-class team of athletes and personal trainers for guidance and motivation, and lean on your teammates for strength and support. Feeling a bit competitive? Join the racing feed and track your progress with some friendly competition with your teammates. 

Whether you purchase a rowing machine for the low impact workout it provides or the fact that you get a full-body strength and cardio workout with the investment in only one piece of equipment, you’ll appreciate the efficiency and ergonomics of your at-home rowing machine and the awesome workout it provides in the comfort of your home, even in your living room. Chances are that once you experience the benefits you can gain from purchasing a rowing machine to complete your workout routine at home, you’ll be so hooked that you won’t want to go back to working out at the gym, even when that becomes an option again.