Peter A Derow Discusses How Rowing Can Be Beneficial for Physical Health

Over the years, rowing has emerged as a multifaceted exercise. It extends beyond the limitations of several more conventional physical activities, and can be good for overall fitness and well-being. As Peter A Derow says that rowing on the open water would especially be the ideal activity to lose weight, stay in shape and even cross-train for another sport. Rowing can also be good for people recovering from an injury or surgery. It is a low-impact activity, and hence, people of almost any age can row, even if they have specific physical challenges.

Peter A Derow briefly talks about the advantageous impact of rowing on physical health

People looking for a low-impact exercise that targets multiple areas of the body and also gets the heart rate up should consider trying out rowing. It is a fun and interesting activity that engages a number of muscles. While rowing, a person would engage their obliques, quadriceps, upper back, triceps, deltoids, pectorals, biceps, abs, glutes, and hamstrings, all in one go. Both competitive and recreational rowing are considered to be unique in comparison to the majority of sports as they exercise almost all the major muscle groups. However, it is also a low-impact sport. As long as it is properly executed, the rowing stroke is quite a safe motion. It provides very little room for serious injuries that are commonly seen in the case of more high-impact sports.

It is not uncommon for many runners to experience pain in their knees over time. This happens because of the impact of their feet hitting the ground. But issues like this are not prevalent with rowing. Rowing is a great choice for a low-impact workout even for people who might have suffered injuries in their shoulders, hips, knees or elbows.  It can be a unique activity that allows people to enjoy benefits similar to a high-intensity workout but without the negative effects of high-impact training.

Cardiovascular training typically involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in an uninterrupted, regular manner. Rowing is among the very few non-weight bearing sports that helps exercise all the important muscle groups. Moreover, as this activity is done outdoors on the water, rowing significantly helps in reducing stress.

As Peter A Derow points out, even though rowing does not build strength in the way weight lifting is able to, it still manages to deliver more of a strength session than some other forms of cardio. Hence, it is often considered to be a great hybrid workout. After all, while rowing, every stroke requires power from both the lower and upper body.

Maintaining good coordination and balance is important to rowing. This can be a bit challenging at first, but is likely to improve with practice. Rowing on a regular basis can help improve proprioception, which is the body’s awareness of its position in space. This leads to better balance and stability both on and off the water. Rowing in a boat would require a stabilizer and neutralizer muscles to fire up. These are the muscles that typically help people to avoid a fall.