8 Big Rowing Machine Benefits

Is rowing a good workout? In a word: yes. Rowing provides a full-body workout along with many other benefits for your heart, lungs and overall health.

You can enjoy the same benefits of rowing by working out on a stationary rower at the gym. Or if you fall in love with this challenging workout, you can even buy your own rowing exercise machine to use at home.

If you're wondering what a rowing machine does for your body and mind, read on to learn all the reasons why you should make rowing a regular part of your workout routine.

If your fitness goals include losing weight, improving power, building strength or boosting endurance, rowing is one of the best forms of cardio for you. One of the top benefits of rowing is caloric burn.

The exact number of calories you'll burn varies according to a few different factors, including your body size and how hard you're working out. But even though it's difficult to pin down a precise number, calorie burn estimates from Harvard Health Publishing give you a great place to start:

Not many stationary exercise machines provide you with an upper-body workout as well as a lower-body workout. But when you sit down at the rowing machine, you'll work muscles in your chest, back, shoulders, arms, core, quads, hamstrings, glutes and even calves.

The fact that your feet never leave the platform of a rowing machine is a bonus, too: Because you're not bouncing or jumping, rowing is considered a low-impact workout, which makes it gentler on people whose joint, bone or muscular health keeps them from doing high-impact workouts like running.

If you're wondering, "Is rowing good cardio?" you're in luck. Because rowing gets your body's large muscle groups moving repetitively for an extended period, it qualifies as a cardiovascular (aka aerobic) workout.

Aerobic exercise helps your heart, blood vessels and lungs grow more efficient when transporting nutrients and oxygen around your body.

It also helps support your immune system, improve your cholesterol and reduce your risk of many chronic health conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic.

If you already have a chronic health condition, an aerobic workout like using a stationary rower can help you keep some of your symptoms in check. Plus, the increase in strength, endurance and overall fitness that cardio provides can help you stay independent and enjoy a better quality of life. But it's always a good idea to check with your doctor before you begin a new exercise program.

Aerobic exercise like rowing has been shown to boost your mood. While rowing alone is not a cure, it may help certain people cope with symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

You'll get the biggest benefit if you can find time for at least 150 minutes of cardio a week, but even 10 or 15 minutes at a time may help, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Although there's a lot of evidence to back the health benefits of a rowing machine workout, there are also some real-world (if somewhat less-scientific) benefits to this exercise machine.

If you manage to find yourself "in the zone," the repetitive whir or swish of the resistance mechanism can verge on a calming, meditative experience — a nice counterbalance to the burn in your thighs, shoulders and back as you power through the workout.

Rowing also emphasizes the connection between your body and breath, which requires focus and concentration. This mind-body connection can reduce anxiety.

Just about anyone can give rowing a try, as long as they learn proper rowing form. (More on that below.)

You may not be able to row super fast in the beginning if you're brand-new to exercise, but you can still hop on a rowing machine for a great workout.

And that includes people with varying abilities. For example, rowing machines are safe for people with vision differences, according to a small August 2015 study in ‌Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine‌.

A rowing machine allows you to exercise relatively quietly and don't have to worry about neighbors, family or roommates complaining about the noise of you jumping or running around.

Many home-use rowing machines are also built to fold for storage under your bed or in a closet, so they won't take up too much space. And because they're easy to move around, you can position your rower in front of the television while you watch your favorite show or pivot it to look out the window.

Rowing relies heavily on full-body movement. If you can't use both your arms and legs, plus your core, you may need special adaptations to get into and use a rowing machine.

This form of cardio also requires quite a bit of coordination. There's a lot more to proper rowing technique than scooting back and forth and yanking at the handle. If you're not willing to put the time into learning and practicing proper technique, you might want to try a simpler piece of workout equipment like a stationary bike.

Although working out on a rowing machine is an efficient, effective option, you'll only enjoy its many benefits if you use proper form. People who aren't familiar with rowing often simply scoot the seat back and forth, tugging on the handle every once in a while. But there's a lot more to proper rowing form than that.

Using proper technique helps you both get the most out of your workout and avoid injury. It's worth investing a little time in mastering proper form. Concept2, one of the most well-known rowing machine manufacturers, offers a helpful instructional video that breaks down proper form.

It helps to divide the rowing motion into four parts: the catch, drive, finish and recovery:

1. ‌Catch:‌ Bend your knees as the seat slides toward the front of the machine. Let your arms straighten and hinge gently forward from the hips until — if your flexibility allows — your elbows are past your knees. Don't hunch your shoulders forward or push yourself into an uncomfortable stretch.
2. ‌Drive:‌ Push the seat back with your legs. As your legs straighten, let your torso hinge slightly back from your hips (as if it were pointing to 11 o'clock on a clock face), then bring your hands in close to your chest.
3. ‌Finish:‌ This is the resting position, in contrast to the catch position. Your legs are stretched, your shoulders and back are leaning away from your legs and your hands are pulled into your chest.
4. ‌Recovery:‌ Perform those movements in reverse: First, let your arms extend, then hinge your torso slightly forward from your hips (to about 1 o'clock on a clock face) and finally, allow your legs to bend as you slide forward to the front of the machine.