By Staff
Waterhead™ Watersports
October 3, 2011

Rowing is a popular water sport around the world with rowers competing with each other in boat races that take place on rivers, lakes and even oceans. That apart, many people take up rowing as a pastime that is as stimulating for the mind as for the body. Whether you are drawn to rowing for competition or recreation, you can make the most of it only by understanding and learning its correct technique. This and the health benefits of rowing as well as essential gear for this water sport have been discussed in details in the following paragraphs.

Health Benefits of Rowing

Whether you take up rowing as a pastime activity so that you can unwind in your leisure time or make it an integral part of your fitness program, you can gain immensely from the several health benefits that it offers. This popular water sport is one of the few aerobic exercises that not only offers a full body workout by exercising all major muscle groups but also strengthens the back of the rower. While rowing, you work out your legs, arms, abdomen as well as buttocks and can even treat the problems of sore back or slight knee pain with it. The low injury risk associated with it makes it an ideal choice of water sport for everyone.

The best part about rowing is that there is no age limit for those interested in pursuing it. Thus, a kid, a teenager or even an elderly person can try his or her hands at rowing. The smooth and rhythmic motion associated with rowing makes it an ideal recreational option for many people, as it is virtually impact free and can be quite enjoyable. Moreover, the intensity of this water sport can be varied as per the comfort level of the rower. Thus, those who are preparing for a rowing competition can step up the intensity level while a recreational rower can enjoy rowing at a more relaxed pace.

The wide range of motion involved in the pursuit if this water sport also aids in improving the flexibility of the rower as all the main joints come into play in the rowing action and stay in good shape. Furthermore, this exercise also offers strength conditioning and burns off excess calories faster than most other water sports options available. Rowing is an excellent fat burning option as well and is pursued by many athletes as a part of their cross training regimen. Thus, you will not only get a toned body but a leaner body as well by rowing on a regular basis.

Correct Technique of Rowing

In order to gain from all the above-mentioned benefits or rowing, it is important that you learn and follow the correct technique for the same. One of the most common mistakes that amateur rowers commit at the time of trying this water sport is bending from their lower back at the time of backward or forward motion. Following the right technique of rowing holds the key to enjoying a fast and smooth ride across the water on your rowboat while getting a good aerobic workout and building muscle endurance as well.

If you follow the right technique of rowing, you can complete your session without feeling exhausted or experiencing any soreness in your muscles the next day. A few essential tips that you need to keep in mind at the time of rowing is keeping your elbows close to your body and moving back and forth from the hip joints instead of straining your lower back to propel the motion. In addition to that, you need to coordinate the movement of your back and pelvic muscles so that they work simultaneously.

Furthermore, it is important to use your legs and upper body to power the rowing motion and keep your back straight during the same, bending forward and backward only slightly in the flow of the motion. Ensuring the flow of the movement is crucial for enjoyment of this water sport that is fast gaining popularity among all ages. A step-by-step break down of every stroke of rowing is provided in the following paragraph to help you understand the correct technique for this water sport.

The first part of the rowing motion is also known as the catch in which the rower bends forward slightly while keeping his or her arms straight and keeps his or her shins in a vertical position. Next is the drive motion of rowing in which the rower needs to press down his or her legs and then lean backwards pulling the oars with his or her arms as his or her elbows go back. The finish in which the arms bend until the upper part of the arms is resting by the torso of the rower follows the drive motion of rowing. By the end of this step, the handles of the oars are at the same level as the abdomen and the legs of the rower are straight.

This is followed by the recovery step of rowing in which the rower needs to straighten his or her arms and push his body forward by bending slightly from the hips. The legs go from the straight to bended position, as the knees are bent to slide forward and to push the water with the oars. This completes one stroke of rowing and after this, the rower needs to repeat all the steps beginning from the catch.

Necessary Gear for Rowing

In order to enjoy a safe and stimulating rowing session, you need to be equipped with all the necessary equipment as well as accessories. These include the rowing shells or sculling boats that are especially designed to cut down water resistance, increase boat speed and to offer stability.

There are different types of rowing boats available in the market. These can be categorized on the basis of the number of rowers that they can accommodate, ranging from single rower boats to those shells that can seat as many as eight rowers. Yet another distinguishing factor that different models of rowboats have is the position of coxswain.

Once you have bought a suitable rowing boat for yourself, you need to buy the right oars with which you will propel the boat. Ideally, the oars that you select should be 340 cm to 360 cm in length and the poles should have a blade with the dimensions of 50 cm by 25 cm. You can opt for classic rowing oars that are made of wood or opt for the modern variation that are fashioned out of synthetic materials such as carbon fiber.

That apart, you need to invest in a few essential rowing accessories such as rowing cap, foul weather and fleece gear, boat lights, rowing meter and mirror, life vests and boat slings. In addition to that, you should get a boat cover to protect your shell or boat from harsh weather conditions when it is not in use and get an oar bag to prevent any damage to your oars and to protect it from dirt and dust when it is stored in the garage. 

You can get all these rowing products and more at the best possible price on our site. Simply browse through the product listings by selecting the bestseller option and be prepared to bag an unbelievable bargain on a host of rowing equipments and accessories.

Others who read this article also read People Prefer Yachting as a Lifestyle and Boat Shoes Are Important to Water Safety.

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