Using Rowing to Cross-Train for Your Other Sport: 

You may be interested in rowing primarily because of your dedication to another sport or exercise, be it cycling, x-c skiing, basketball, running, swimming, or whatever activity you are pursuing.  Here are some of the reasons rowing supports other sports:

• Rowing’s non-impact motion does not strain joints that may already be stressed with your primary sport. In fact, rowing can actually strengthen and protect the joints that athletes depend on for other sports. For example, rowing strengthens the leg muscles that hold the knee in place.
• Runners and cyclists have found rowing can be a great way to train indoors when the weather is bad.
• It can help with overall strength, improving leg power and stamina.
• It adds an element of arm strength without excessive muscle mass in the arms.
• Rowing uses the full mass of the thigh muscles, back as well as front (and sides), and links them with use of the back to develop great leg power.
• Using most of the body’s muscle mass at the same time also creates a greater demand on the heart and lungs. Thus, rowing can offer athletes in other sports a way to improve their overall cardiovascular fitness.
• Rowing can be a useful way to get safe exercise at any age. Since you row sitting down, there is significantly reduced risk of falling or incurring injury. Since you can control the amount of the slide you use, you can limit the angle of compression of the hip and knee.
• Rowing also involves quickness that is useful in other sports and activities. To row harder on the rowing machine, you do not add weight or resistance. Instead, you learn to apply leg power more quickly.
• Rowing enhances coordination among all the major muscle groups and joints. An attentive rower who achieves a well-coordinated stroke develops an increased ability to concentrate on what the body is doing and how the limbs are working together.

Cross-Train to Support Your Rowing:

Although rowing is one of the best all-around forms of exercise, it is not a perfect exercise in the sense of using and training all muscles and joints equally and for all purposes. Add other exercises in coordination with your daily row to gain the fitness you want. Here are some examples:

• Stretching: Muscles need to be stretched out when you are done exercising and the muscles are still warm to enhance your overall flexibility. Otherwise, these tired muscles will tend to tighten up as they recover, making the next day’s row harder rather than easier.
• Core Work: The muscles around the core of the body weaken and fall into disuse as we age. They need work. And they are critically important for your posture, your breath, for avoiding back pain, and for your power.
• Cycling: Some people who row competitively use cycling as an alternative way of pushing their legs, lungs, and heart without the whole-body demands of rowing.
• Weight Lifting: You do not have to approach weight lifting with a goal of lifting the maximum possible weight to get real benefit from using weights. A moderate program of lifting weights three times per week under supervision can give you more power to bring to your rowing.
• Another basis for cross-training, perhaps the most important one, is your enjoyment. If you enjoy kayaking, canoeing, swimming, downhill skiing, walking, or other activities, include them in your routine.