Pound for pound, rowers offer one of the best all round workouts you can get. Exercising the whole body, with little strain on the joints, they are justifiably popular with men and women, old and young, fit and flabby.
Rowers are safe pieces of fitness equipment that allow you to use your body to an intensity that suits you. With the two leading products being the concept II and the water rower, you can be assured of a thorough workout without the stress on your joints or jarring that might occur from a treadmill or running machine.
Just look at the benefits of a workout on a rower:
- Up to 800 calories per hour burned
- Strengthen your legs, hip, back, arms, shoulders and abs
- Low impact
When buying for commercial use, it's wise to ignore the cheaper models. These use hydraulic pistons, which are not as smooth as the wind bladed models, and far less reliable. While suitable for light home use, they will not stand up to the rigours of commercial use.
Prices vary from around £600 to in excess of £2000. Differences in prices will typically be reflected in smoothness and durability, and the electronic bells and whistles. The electronic display panel on any decent model should show elapsed time, stroke count, strokes per minute, and total distance rowed. The more expensive models will also offer a number of pre-set programmes and possibly a heart rate monitor.
Be sure to test any model before buying. You'll want to look for a smooth, quiet action, with the seat gliding back and forth easily, and an electronic display that is both easy to read and simple to use.
