The Benefits Of Rowing
Rowing may seem like a niche sport, possibly even exclusive. After all, it involves large amounts of personal commitment, resources and organisation to access. But experts say it offers participants various physical and mental health benefits not always found in other sports. Because of this, people are rowing more than ever.
While rowing might attract Olympic hopefuls and Head of the River Heros, many people row to work out, clear their minds or hang out with their mates.
Builds Muscle Strength
Unsurprisingly, catapulting your body accross the water builds muscle in your arms, but climbing is a full-body exercise. In addition to giving your biceps, triceps and deltoids a workout, it also calls on your abdominals, obliques, glutes, thighs, calves and more.
Many people don't realize that if you're using the proper technique, your lower body gets the biggest work out!
Improves Flexibility and Balance
Rowing requires you to be able to stretch your arms and legs to their full range, plus control your body under strenuious loading. Rowing also requires excellent balance. The more you row, the better your flexibility, balance and coordination become.
Increases Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Fast-moving sports such as running, soccer and cycling come to mind as workouts that elevate your heart rate. But rowing is a super power when it comes to getting your heart pumping. The more challenging the row, the more of a workout you get!Increase your duration, intensity or both to maximise the session!
Enhances Problem-Solving
Every rower should be trying to solve the same problem every session,
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"How do I make the boat go faster?"
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determining the key elemets you need to work on to help make your crew better. You also need to be able to problem-solve on the fly, adapting to the conditions and the people around you.
Builds Community
Rowing culture is very sociable and brings people together. You will meet other rowers, whether going to an indoor gym session or out on the water. Rower frequently ask each other for advice and assistance around boats and at the club, and from those conversations, rowers often build strong bonds. In addition, many meet-up groups on social media are looking for other like-minded rowers, so it is easy to meet and get to know your rowing community.
Combats Depression
Like many other forms of exercise, rowing can help battle the blues. Research has found rowing to be successful psychotherapy for adults with depression, thanks to its physical, social and mental benefits. If you're rowing outside, you may get an extra boost, as research has shown that spending time in nature is a natural antidepressant. Rowing is very reflective, too. It's a great mirror that shows you how you deal with challenges, disappointment and success, skills you can carry with you for the rest of your life.
Increases Muscular Endurance
Multiple studies have shown that rowing improves muscular endurance throughout the entire body. Rowers regularly show characteristics improved lower and upper body endurance, abdominal endurance etc. Rowing builds your endurance when you repeat movements repeatedly for extended periods.
Helps You Overcome Fear
Overcoming fear is one of the most difficult challenges in rowing; however, as a rower, you get much practice. Part of overcoming fear is processing the fight or flight response that the adrenaline from climbing produces. Many beginner rowers have a fear of failing. When you are put on the spot to keep up with the crew, your fight or flight response starts to kick in, and the choice presents itself; will you stay calm and in sync, or will you freeze? Since rowers are under this pressure every stroke, they grow better at evaluating and processing that natural response in other aspects of their daily lives.
Creates Zen and Flow State Experiences
Flow state is when you’re entirely present despite what challenges may be occurring around you. When you are rowing, everything outside of your current situation falls away and the only thing your thinking about is the boat and its rhythm. Similar to meditation, rowing can lead to “flow” state experiences through mindfulness. Some health experts recommend rowing for traumatic brain injuries because of the zen-like experiences that rowing produces through attention, concentration and kinesthetic awareness of your body and movement.
