Experts claim that from all the fitness workout routines, rowing exercise patterns are some of the most complex and efficient in what the cardiovascular dimension is concerned. Normally performed by means of special machines, rowing has its difficulties and challenges that can sometimes ruin the joy of the exercise.

 A rowing machine includes a a seat, a flywheel, a chain, a handle and a footrest. All you need to do is to hold the handle and move the body back and forth in a certain rhythmic way. Yet, good and healthy rowing fitness exercise programs should be paid enough attention to eliminate the risk of getting injured. It is not a good idea to take up rowing exercise regimes if you have circulatory or back problems. Normally, when rowing correctly, the lower back is very little involved in the movement, which makes the rowing exercise adequate for people with disk problems.

Then, you should not start working out before stretching well. At the end of this warm up stage, it is time to get in the seat and assume the right posture to perform the rowing exercise. Beginners normally need some guidance for a very good use of the machine because a person who is not familiar with the device will have trouble figuring out how to correctly place the straps, use the seat and the handles. Do not lean back too much, and don’t make too short movements forward. The back injuries caused by an improper paddling exercise routine are related to this overuse of the back musclesduring the training. Remember that it is not the back that has to do the work, but the arms and legs. The inhale-exhale sequence should correspond to the rowing exercise movement: thus on the pull you should breathe in, and on the return, breathe out. The air will circulate a lot more easily through your chest if you don’t drop the chin and keep the head up. Other than these common issues related to a rowing exercise, the advantages of the training have to be emphasized as well. Other than caloric burning and weight loss, the muscles of the arms, legs, back and torso will start strengthening progressively. As for the lung and heart stimulation, rowing is very much comparable to running as you make pounding moves all the time. However, the joints are less used in the movement, which makes the exercise suitable even for people who have suffered from some form of cartilage injury.

Choosing a Rowing Machine

With so many different rowing machines available on the market it can be a challenging to find the best rower to suit individual budgets and requirements.There are some rowing machines that come with various difficulty settings which allows you to train that little harder if you want to go for fitness gains. Many modern rowers also have digital displays that can show heart rate, estimation of calories burned and the distance travelled. Some can be folded away for easy storage however the more features often equals a greater price.  Decide what you want to get from your workouts before choosing a rowing machine for losing weight. Remember that using a rower alone wont be the only way to lose weight, it may be best to use various forms of exercise to maintain motivation levels and keep up weight loss progress.
 
Strengthens spine, upper back muscles, shoulders and arms

  • Sit up straight and tall with knees slightly bent, exercise tubing looped around your feet.
  • Tighten abs, squeeze your shoulder blades together.
  • Pull on the tubing as you bring your elbows back slowly, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  • Slowly return to the starting position.
  • Repeat.