SHOULD I BUY A ROWING MACHINE

When you consider that you can buy a top of the line rowing machine for about 20 or 30% of the cost of a comparable treadmill or elliptical cross trainer and that rowing is a excellent overall exercise that can build muscle and stamina, why are they not more popular than treadmills or ellipticals?

The truth is that most people just don't enjoy the particular exercise that rowers offer well enough to use it as their primary indoor cardiovascular activity. Walking or running on a treadmill or using an elliptical cross trainer simply has a wider appeal. This is an important consideration, if you are concerned with purchasing an exercise machine that has to satisfy two or more people in the home.

If you enjoy rowing as an exercise and would be content with that as your primary routine, by all means, purchase a rower. More and more people are finding that by complimenting their treadmill or elliptical with a rowing machine, they can use it to break the monotony of repeating the same workout routine all of the time. Also, by using the rower for alternate workouts, they can use their muscles differently, helping to avoid some of the injuries associated with repetitive workouts.

One advantage of rowing machines is that they weigh less than treadmills or ellipticals and are easier to move within the home. It is seldom necessary to breakdown a rower to fit through a doorway, but it is often necessary to partially disassemble a treadmill or an elliptical to move it through a standard doorway.

For some people a rower can serve as their primary cardiovascular exercise machine, but for most people, a rowing machine serves as a great second or third unit.