Many of us desire to pursue fitness training. We have made attempts in the past to become more physically fit by purchasing fitness equipment. Unfortunately, this fitness equipment has been banished to the garage, basement or the back of the closet. While the equipment is gathering dust our fitness level does not improve. Over time the amount of money we have spent on unused fitness equipment discourages us even more.
It might seem like you would be throwing your money away, but wouldn’t a rowing machine be a good idea? I don’t mean those pneumatic piston things you buy through the mail or over the internet, that don’t feel anything like actual rowing and that break in less than week, like the home gym machine that’s gathering dust in your garage. I mean good equipment, similar to your mountain bike; the difference is you can use it every day for a few minutes indoors while looking at television instead of getting a sunburn outdoors.
A quality rowing machine will actually give you the feeling that your are rowing on water. They are quiet enough that you can still watch television without raising the volume much and your spouse can still read in the next room without being disturbed. With rowing, there is no impact, so there is no strain on your joints.
But the best part is that rowing is a full-body activity. It uses all the muscles in the legs and back and biceps. Add in a few pushups to work the chest and triceps for balance and you’ve got a complete workout.
Rowing works the entire body and a rower trains multiple areas of the body. Are you trying to increase your strength? To do this, you need to increase the resistance on the rowing machine and do short sprints. Do you want to increase your endurance? Decrease the resistance and go for a longer period of time and a greater distance. Do you like to compete? There are rowing machine competitions. You can sign up for one of these to maintain your motivation and have something to work towards.
Even though money for the best machines is usually money well spent, it is wise to beware of diminishing returns. Spending $1000 on a rowing machine from a brand new company may or may not be a great deal. By purchasing from an established and reliable company, however, you are more likely to be able to find replacement parts when you need them. However, buy used when in doubt. Most people who love rowing would never give up their rowing machines. However, machines sometimes break and the owner doesn’t realize it can be easily fixed. You can sometimes get an excellent deal this way.
For more information on Rowing Machines check out http://rowing-machines-help.info, a website that specializes in providing helpful home fitness tips, advice and resources to include and more.
- Edson Buchanan