When The Proclaimers sang about walking 500 miles, it sounded like a pretty big feat. But my challenge of paddling a mile every day for two weeks seemed a little more achievable.
Why 1 mile every day? Well, why? Rowing (on a machine) is celebrated for its many benefits for the body. Not only is it a great way to work on your cardio fitness, it works multiple muscles and allows you to sit during your workout!
Rowing is a great full body exercise. Each stroke activates not only the muscles of the lower body, but also the muscles of the core, upper body and back. You basically drive with your feet and use your arms and back muscles to pull the steering wheel towards your torso. Plus, rowing, like most exercise, is good for your mind because it releases feel-good endorphins in your brain.
I have several lowers in my gym, but my constant go-to is the Concept 2 lowers. Concept 2’s units are set to meters, but a quick Google converted his 1 mile to 1600 meters, so I started rowing 1600 meters every day for two weeks. Read on to find out what happened.
Looking for more workout inspiration? What happened when Chris Hemsworth tried out the resistance band workout he used on the set of Thor: Love and Thunder? Here are the best ab exercises to add to your routine, and what happened when a fitness editor did 100 dead bugs a day for a week. .
i worked my glutes hard
At first glance, rowing looks like an upper body workout, but after running about half a mile on the first day, I realized how wrong I was. I could feel his glutes activating and I could feel him moving his lower body off the footplate as I focused on form.
faster
Prior to this challenge, rowing a mile (1 mile) every day felt strange at first, as I was new to boating. After a few miles each day, I got on the swing of things, and in fact, by the end of the two weeks, I was much faster, hitting miles in a casual 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
Rowing is a great way to get in shape. research (opens in new tab)When incorporated into a training regimen, participants were found to experience significant reductions in total body fat percentage over the course of six weeks.
had a weak impact
Rowing is a great low-impact exercise that doesn’t hurt your joints, unlike the usual combination of resistance training, CrossFit-style workouts, and running. Primarily, this is due to sitting in the rowing seat. In fact, I have no doubt I will be using rowing on future active recovery days. research (opens in new tab) Rowing has proven to be a good exercise for older people because it is low impact, and rowing can also prevent sarcopenia. Decreased muscle mass and strength.
After rowing every day for two weeks, I was pain free and noticed my body wasn’t screaming for stretches. maybe.
Helped improve posture
Form is important when you’re rowing. As a personal his trainer, I often see him in the gym pulling the rower’s handle up to his knees instead of up to his ribs, or pulling the handle up to his body and then bringing his leg back up.
Want to learn how to row properly? Each stroke on the rowing machine has his four parts: catch, drive, finish and recovery. The drive is actually the main part of the work, leaning forward from the waist, gripping the handle with your hand, driving back with your foot, then pulling the handle to just below your ribs. Then extend your arms, then bend your knees and slide the seat back to the starting position. Rowing properly improved my posture and strengthened my core and back.
felt strongly
The biggest surprise for me was how strong I felt each morning after spending time rowing. For me, exercise is not only important for physical fitness, but also for maintaining mental health. 1 study (opens in new tab)I discovered that strength training can elicit a more positive body image, and after my rowing session, I definitely left the gym.
I Paddled a Mile Every Day for Two Weeks — Here’s What I Learned
After two weeks, I think I’ve found my new favorite gym machine. Rowing every day for two weeks was a good accompaniment to my marathon training. Because it really helped me break a sweat without putting extra strain on my poor, battered knees.
keep rowing? The answer is definitely yes. All welcome rowing machines. This kit should be a part of everyone’s workout repertoire.
Inspired? Learn more about how to use a rowing machine to lose weight and the best rowing machine workouts to try.
