Rowing machines simulate the action of rowing on land in order to provide the excercise benefits. Rowing machines exercise the arms, legs and back to give a whole body workout.

Benefits of Using a Rowing Machine
A rowing machine is designed to imitate actual boat rowing so that it feels the same as if you are pushing oars through water as you use the machine. Rowing machines are the ideal fitness equipment for losing weight and improving your stamina, as well as burning calories and rehabilitating muscles and joints after an injury.

A rowing machine workout achieves both a cardiovascular and a muscle workout. This translates to getting a full body workout on just one machine. If you are looking for exercise equipment that is low-impact and that can provide everything from fat-burning aerobic workouts to anaerobic strength-training workouts, you should consider purchasing a rowing machine. A proper workout on one of these machines can help you to burn up to 15 calories per minute, allowing you to maintain or improve fitness levels with a workout time of only 20 minutes.

Using a rowing machine involves muscle groups in your arms, legs and back so you will get your full body aerobic workout that is low impact and ideal for your muscles and your heart.

How to Use a Rowing Machine
The proper use of rowing machines can protect you from unnecessary injuries that can occur through over exertion and muscle strain, and enable you to experience immediate benefits from the exercise. You should first stretch properly to prevent muscle strain. Setting a resistance that is too high on the rower can cause your upper body muscles to tire too quickly, thus preventing you from getting a full cardio workout.

The best technique is to sit on the bench and take hold of the handles with a firm, but relaxed, grip with both hands. Once you have a proper grip on the handles, start to pull slowly and get a good rhythm for two to three minutes before starting to exert harder for speed and distance. After the allotted time of power rowing take another two to three minutes of slower rowing as a cool-down period. To avoid straining your back, be sure to use your leg and hip muscles in the rowing movement.

Types of Rowing Machines
The most important thing when choosing a rower is to consider what type of resistance you want it will use. There are four types of resistance currently used by most machines: air, hydraulic, magnetic and water. Each of these is slightly different to the others:

• Air resistance simulates a real rowing shell.
• Hydraulic resistance uses shockers, similar to the shock absorbers found in a car.
• Magnetic resistance offers smooth and virtually silent rowing. This is ideal for use at home if you have a baby who you don’t want to be disturbed by noise.
• Water resistance gives a true life rowing experience with a fluid connection. There is no impact, or the jerkiness that you can get on some other rowing machines.

Rowing machines come in a wide variety of prices, depending on how sophisticated you want your rowing machine to be. Some have different exercise routines built into them, while the basic rowing machines just time you and provide the distance you have rowed. There are many online retailers of rowing machines and they should be happy to answer your questions and help you find the best rowing machine for your needs.