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It's that age old problem -- you want to get fitter, feel healthier and perhaps lose a few pounds but the diets don't work and aerobics or jogging seem like real chores. Well there is a solution and no it's not some new wonder food or drug. The answer is to get involved in a sport.
Sports are fun and make keeping fit an enjoyable pastime rather than a chore. Some sports provide aerobic exercise, others build stamina and yet others are more suited to building muscle. There are some however that can do all three and one sport in particular can do it while you are sitting down.
I'm talking of course about rowing. Now at first glance you may think that rowing is all about using your arms and building strong upper body muscles but you'd be wrong. Rowing utilises all major muscle groups, including those in the abdomen, arms, legs, and back. Rowing is also a low-impact exercise which is both aerobic and stamina and strength-building as well. The aerobic component conditions the heart and lungs, while strength training builds muscle, aids in weight loss, and prevents osteoporosis. Did you know that even at rest, muscles utilise more energy, pound for pound, than fat cells do and a larger muscle mass means that you permanently burn off more calories no matter what you are doing, making it easier to keep your weight down.
There is nothing quite like the experience of rowing for sport. A great total body workout, rowing combines the skill required of any top athlete with the grace of a scull (that's the boat) sliding smoothly through the water. Although rowing is hard work, experienced crew members will tell you that the sport brings relaxation to both the body and the mind. Recreational rowing allows the same health benefits without the intensity of competition and adaptive competitions are available for those who are differently-abled. Rowing on land using a rowing machine also offers the exercise benefits for anyone who doesn't want to row on the water.
Rowing is also one of the most versatile sports in the world, allowing competition or recreation in the ocean or on rivers and lakes by people of all ages. One of the first Olympic rowing champion was a young French coxswain. He is thought to have been between 7 and 12 years old, which would possibly make him the youngest Olympic gold medalist ever. In contrast, the oldest Olympic gold medalist, Robert Zimonyi, coxed the US eight in 1964 at age 46 and Steve Redgrave of Great Britain who won no less than five Olympic Gold Medals won his last Olympic title in the coxless fours at the Sydney Olympics at the age of 38.
Of course you don't have to aspire to be an Olympian or even engage in any competition to benefit from the sport both in terms of better health and fitness and enjoyment and whether you want to row as part of a crew, on your own or even out of the water there are many clubs who are waiting to welcome you to this exhilarating sport.
Mark Hollins is the author of Rowing 101 a brand new ebook introducing the exiting world of rowing. You can find out all you need to know to get started in this great sport at his website.www.tryrowing.com
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