Rowing machines have a sliding seat, foot rests and a handle that acts as a set of oars. To use this machine, sit on the seat, push yourself backward and pull the handle toward your body. Repetitive exercise such as rowing is known as cardiovascular or aerobic training. It can get you into shape.
Calories Burned
Being overweight is a risk factor for multiple conditions, such as fatty liver disease, pregnancy complications, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancers, according to the Weight-control Information Network. One of the main points of the rowing machine is that it burns calories. This causes you to lose weight and reduce your disease risk. A 200-lb. person burns approximately 635 calories with 60 minutes of moderate rowing. As an added benefit, rowing is also a low-impact form of exercise that keeps your joints safe.
Aerobic Capacity
Aerobic capacity is often referred to as VO2 max. This is an abbreviation for volume of oxygen consumed. By increasing your aerobic capacity, you're able to exercise with more effort for longer periods and expend more calories. This also helps in daily life situations in which you have to exert energy for a long period, such as pushing a wheelbarrow up a long hill, continually throwing hay bales or shoveling snow in your driveway. To maximize your increase in aerobic capacity, row at 70 percent to 85 percent maximum effort in your workouts.
Muscle Activation
When you use a rowing machine, you burn calories and work multiple muscles in your upper and lower body. By building muscle, you increase your resting metabolic rate and burn more calories around the clock. A pound of muscle burns 30 to 50 calories a day just to maintain itself, according to the University of Michigan Health System. To really tax your muscles, turn up the resistance on the machine. The glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, biceps, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids and abs all get worked during a rowing workout. The lats and rhomboids are back muscles.
Physical Activity
Rowing is considered a type of physical activity. Regular physical activity can help control blood lipid abnormalities and diabetes and can help reduce blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.
Time Frame
The American College of Sports Medicine has specific guidelines to reduce your disease risk and lose weight. If you're looking to just improve your health, keep your rowing sessions to at least 30 minutes. If you're looking to drop a few pounds, row for 60 to 90 minutes. In both cases, you can increase your caloric expenditure by doing intervals. You can still achieve the benefits of rowing by working out two or three times a day and accumulating your time as well.
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