Rowing is a fantastic form of exercise. It’s the cardio all-rounder, providing a full, thorough, and satisfying workout every time.
Not only that, but rowing can also be incredibly calming. The repetitive actions involved, and psychical rhythm developed by the movements, can often induce states of relaxation and heightened mindfulness.
It also turns out that there are quite a few benefits associated with rowing. And today we’re going to share 4 of our favourites. . .
Rowing gives a low-impact, full-body workout
Rowing machines are one of the few stationary exercise devices that provide a thorough upper body workout. Working all sorts of muscles, including the back, shoulders, and arms (as well as the muscles of the lower body, of course). This makes rowing an excellent choice for anyone looking to develop an all-round fitness regime.
It’s also incredibly gentle as far as impact goes. The fact that your feet remain still means that there’s very little strain on the joints and bones. So it’s a great choice for anyone who is unable to undertake more strenuous and impactful exercises.
Rowing is a form of cardiovascular training, and when it comes to heart health, cardio exercise has many well-documented benefits. From lower blood pressure to improved blood flow. The heart is, after all, a muscle, and muscles need to be worked if we’re to keep them strong and healthy.
Also, rowing makes the large muscle groups of your body work continuously and repetitively for an extended period of time, which technically makes it both a cardiovascular and aerobic exercise. Which further increases its potential health benefits.
Builds strength
Anyone who’s tried rowing for any length of time knows it’s no easy task. It’s taxing on the muscles and can be very fatiguing. But with a bit of perseverance rowing can be a great method for building all-round strength.
Also, one of the main muscles targeted by rowing are the quadriceps. And well-developed quadriceps provide us with greatly enhanced functional strength in the lower body. This also makes activities such as walking, jogging, and squatting much easier to carry out.
Less impact, more exercise
As mentioned above, rowing provides a great low-impact workout. And if you’re on the lookout for more exercises that offer a less strenuous path to fitness, why not take a look at our post on Low Intensity Interval Training.
Many people agree that a good warm-up is an essential part of any safe and effective exercise routine.
Stretching helps to loosen up the muscles and prevent injury, and a proper warm-up routine may even improve your performance and overall technique.
It only takes a relatively short amount of time to get sufficiently warmed-up. And whether you’re a runner, a swimmer, or just a general cardio fanatic, there’s a warm-up out there to suit you.
New year, new you? That’s what they say. But it’s not only the fitness fanatics who change with the times; fitness trends are constantly coming and going. And with every new year comes a new set of trends and fashions. From Zumba and HIIT to Boxercise and LIIT.
And whilst not all of them can stand the test of time, one thing’s always certain: when January comes around, it brings a sack full of trends with it.
With that said, here are 5 fitness trends to watch out for in 2020. . .
Community fitness
Exercising with others has always been a popular way to keep in shape. But with increasing numbers of people engaging with fitness regimes, and a growing number of local and national exercise clubs, working out in groups is now easier and more accessible than ever before.
And thanks to the prevalence of fitness apps, many of which allow you to connect with others locally, there are myriad ways to meet and engage with like-minded individuals.
Rowing
Rowing seems to be experiencing something of a revival at the moment, which seems set to continue into the new year. One reason for its popularity is its low-impact nature. This makes it an excellent option for older people or those who have sustained impact-related injuries.
Not only that, but rowing offers one of the most effective full-body workouts around. In fact, a study from the English Institute of Sport showed that it works 86% of the muscles in your body.
Meditation
Though it may not seem like a traditional fitness trend, meditation is an amazing supplement to any exercise regime. After all, the modern world is a busy and hectic place, and though exercise itself helps with stress, meditation is an incredibly effective antidote for 21st Century life.
And now with the ever-increasing public awareness of the myriad benefits of meditation, it appears that more and more fitness instructors are starting to incorporate mindfulness into their classes. So 2020 may just be the year of mindful workouts…
Tech-free exercise
This one might seem a little bit illogical. The general assumption is that the further we progress into the “future”, the more we rely on technology. But it appears that the opposite is taking place. More people now are beginning to opt for a less technologically-dependent lifestyle. And one aspect of modern life that has become heavily infused with apps and tech is health and fitness.
But, of course, technology isn’t always good for our mental wellbeing, so the ability to unplug and disconnect once in a while is incredibly important. This means that exercising the old fashioned way, without apps or heart monitors or social media leaderboards, may be one fo the best ways to keep fit (both physically and mentally) in 2020.
Low-impact training
2019 was the year of HIIT. But 2020 could well be the year of HILIT (high-intensity, low-impact training). Most people are well aware of the benefits of HIIT training, but one of its primary pitfalls (especially for those who need to watch out for this sort of thing) is how much stress it puts on the joints.
One solution to this problem is low-impact training. All the benefits of HIIT without any of the impact. This form of training could prove to be particularly popular this year amongst runners and CrossFitters.
Christmas: the time of mince pies, stuffing, roast potatoes, and too much chocolate. It’s a well-documented fact that keeping up our fitness regimes can be very tricky over the festive season. But it’s not impossible.
So to help keep you motivated, here are 12 Christmas-themed workouts for some festive fitness fun.
It’s that time of year again. Winter. When the nights are getting longer, the days colder, and it’s becoming harder and harder to get outside and keep active.
Unfortunately the cold weather can really have an impact on our motivation. But just like any other time of year, it’s still important to keep fit and moving during the winter months. And luckily there are a few things we can do to make the transition from cozy fireplace to freezing streets as smooth and painless as possible.
Dress the part
Due to the darker weather, safety is paramount when it comes to outdoor winter exercise. So dressing accordingly is important.
There are two aspects to winter workout gear. First, as mentioned above, is safety. Second is comfort and warmth. Make sure to wear plenty of high-visibility gear, and maybe even a head torch if you’ll be out and about in places that aren’t well lit!
Warm up
Possibly the number one obstacle to going out during winter is the cold. Stepping outside when temperatures are looming around zero is hardly the most appealing prospect. But by warming up before leaving the house we stand to make our lives much easier.
A few minutes of stretching followed by a bit of light cardio is all you need to get the blood flowing and the heart beating. Then, when it comes to stepping outside, it won’t feel quite so daunting.
Occupy your mind
Listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks whilst exercising is a brilliant way to pass the time and take your mind off the weather.
Not only will you stay entertained, but the time will fly. And for extra motivation, only allow yourself to listen to the best content whilst your out exercising.
Take your friends
Exercising with friends is a guaranteed way to keep motivated. Being accountable for your workout regime, and having people to answer to if you take a day off, can really help to keep you going through the darker days.
The reality is that we’re much less likely to call something off if a friend’s coming with us. This counts double for exercise.
Talking and walking will make the time go by in a flash. And if safety is a concern when it’s dark outside, being with other people can provide lots of security and peace of mind.
Most importantly, just keep going!
Keeping fit and active isn’t always easy. Sometimes we go through lazy periods, other times the weather gets the best of us, and sometimes we just don’t have the time. But as with most things of this nature, motivation is the key to success.
So to keep yourself driven, why not check out these 6 inspiring health and fitness documentaries, or take a look at these 9 motivating TED Talks on exercise, and wellbeing.
The pull-up is one of the most difficult bodyweight exercises to perform. It places incredible strain on your upper body, and demands a great amount of strength in your back, arms, and shoulders.
But hard as it may be, the pull-up is one of the most effective and powerful upper body exercises around, and it can do wonders for your core strength.
The real trick to this exercise is volume, and a good tip is to attempt 1-2 sets to failure every day.
But how many reps should we actually be aiming for? According to former Royal Marines PTI Sean Lerwill, “A guy in good shape should be able to do about six perfect-form pull-ups at a slow and controlled tempo, with an aim of getting to 12 reps.”
This may sound like an impossible task for beginners. But with the proper practise and form, you’ll be hitting double figures in no time at all.
So whether you’re just looking to increase your current rep limit, or simply wish to perform your very first pull-up, we’ve got some tips to help you boost your performance.
How to do a pull-up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIvJTfGxdFo
First things first, you need to get to grips with the proper pull-up technique. The above video should hopefully set you off in the right direction. And further to that, here are some general takeaway tips:
Grip the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you.
Hang with your arms fully extended and bend your knees (if they’re dragging on the ground).
Keep your shoulders back, core engaged.
Move with control until your chin is above the bar.
Variations
Once you’ve mastered the basics, there are a number of ways to alter your pull-ups. . .
Grip — try switching between wide, narrow, and normal grips to work different parts of your body.
Pauses — you can add pauses at different parts of your pull-up for a more intense and fatiguing variation.
Tempo — altering the tempo of your pull-ups is a great way to increase intensity and add a different angle to the exercise.
Supplemental exercises
For extra strength-building, and to help condition your body for strong and successful pull-ups, try adding these exercises into your daily workout routine:
Inverted row
Arm hang
Lat pulldown
Stability ball rollouts
Squat, pull, push
Once you’ve perfected your pull-up, why not throw in some squats and push-ups for an all-round bodyweight workout!
