​Rowing +6.24 years

Rowing +6.24 years

As Vikings, we rowed up the rivers at dawn and built muscular bodies 1000 years ago. Today, most people needss a lake or rowing boat, and then the rowing machine is the ultimate alternative. It exercises a unique 85% of the body’s muscles; if you smile simultaneously, it will be another percentage. The muscles give you mental and physical confidence. It gives you an advantage in other sports and everyday life and increases the chance of coping with a long working life without wear and tear injuries.

I have interviewed the rowers and Olympic gold medalists Lindsay D Shoop, Matt Langridge, and Spik Luka, as well as the world champion in coastal rowing, Peter Berg, with whom I also had the privilege of rowing. Suppose you want to know how your body changes with rowing; look at an Olympic rower. They radiate power, good posture, and health with broad shoulders and well-proportioned muscles.

Once reserved for soldiers and college athletes, rowing is now a sport for everyone. The rowing machine is the world’s oldest exercise machine.

2,500 years ago in ancient Greece, when Athens and Sparta were at war, Admiral Chabrias had the soldiers train in wooden rowing frames to master good rowing techniques before going to sea. Chabria’s innovation gave Athens victory at the Battle of Naxos, its first naval victory in decades.

One of the world’s most muscular men, William Curtis, invented the first indoor rowing machine. In 1871, he received a patent for a hydraulic rowing machine with a flywheel - which is still used today.

Rowing provides intense exercise and strength simultaneously without stressing your joints. My 85-year-old father rows every day thanks to the gentle training. My beloved wife Anna has argued a mile a day for several years, even though her knees couldn’t handle running. Rowing builds fitness and strength at the same time, so you gain power and endurance.

Positive effects: Already an old study of 172 rowers at Harvard and Yale by Dr. Prout showed that the Yale rowers lived 6.35 years longer than their New Haven classmates who did not row, and the Harvard rowers lived 6.24 years longer than their Cambridge classmates who did not fight.
https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/27/archives/study-...

Research shows that grip strength is an essential indicator of good health among seniors, and rowing directly improves grip strength.
(Bohannon 2019)

Having worked as an entrepreneur all my life, I am extra proud of the whales in my hands from the oar. They provide a patina showing that the hands are not just on a keyboard. Researchers also found good bone health and increased bone density in athletes who regularly perform rowing exercises, especially in the spine and hips.

(Śliwicka et al. 2015).

Research shows that relatively small doses of physical activity significantly lower the risk of depression.

(Pearce et al., 2022).

Rowing builds mental strength as you train endurance and dedication. Rowing releases feel-good hormones such as endorphins, which relieve stress. Rowing provides a rhythmic, relaxing movement, almost like dancing. Put on headphones with music or a good book (e.g., Red Snake - the Viking who rowed), and you will find yourself in the “zone.”

Tip: If you’re going to buy just one thing, I recommend the Concept2 rowing machine. I wish I were a partner in the company... The rowing machine with air resistance can be found in most CrossFit gyms worldwide, and the WC in indoor rowing is run at Concept2.

Register your times online for free to compare results and progress with other rowers of your age worldwide. The rowing machine fits in every home and can be easily folded and stowed away. Please place it in the living room where it invites activity and ensure you never fall asleep in front of the TV again.

The proper technique throughout the entire rowing movement is essential for efficiency and injury-free. On the Concept2 website, there are free films with optimal rowing techniques. Ask an experienced rower for help with feedback while rowing in the beginning. You can also watch yourself relax in a mirror and record yourself on film: the more commitment, the more fun training.

Rowing is time efficient and trains the large muscle groups. A rowing session can be high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which increases heart function and oxygen consumption. The body burns additional calories after you have finished exercising. A classic rowing session is trying to row 2 km in under 7 minutes - an experience you will always remember. You can also row 5 or 10 km as a perfect alternative to a run.

The smooth, gliding motion of rowing creates a connection between mind and body. Even if you row indoors, the repetitive gliding motion gives the same meditative feeling as rowing on water. Elite rowers say that rowing helps them practice mindfulness and maintain focus.

G R I T! Grit is about drive, determination, and sticking to long-term goals despite setbacks. In my interviews with Olympic gold medalists in rowing, they share their passion and how they have overcome enormous challenges with grit.

The positive thing is that grit can be developed by ourselves and strengthened with the support of the environment. Grit is about finding your passion, dialing in your reason to keep moving forward, never stopping training, and seeing every failure as an opportunity to learn.

Psychologist Angela Duckworth coined the term grit after researching at the University of Pennsylvania. Grit combines persistence, long-term goals, self-discipline, and never giving up.

In tests, Duckworth has shown that grit predicts how young people succeed in their studies. Grit is as important as IQ and EQ, so some young people purposefully keep fighting.