Rowing

Rowing is the activity of giving motion, or way, to a boat or ship through the sweeping of oar blades through the water, propelling the vessel forwards. Rowing is one of the oldest forms of manned propulsion, with banks of oars being employed to move ancient ships in little or no wind, or to add power to the wind filling the sails. Traditional rowboats are small craft and the sport of rowing today is one that is undertaken, quite famously, by major Universities, notably the Cambridge and Oxford boat race. Rowing is also one of the oldest Olympic sports. It is one of the few sports that exercises all of the major muscle groups, increasing muscular strength and cardiovascular health and fitness.

Rowing machines are a common fixture of most gyms, principally because of the all-over workout that the act of rowing provides. While indoor rowing machines do not provide the same intensity of workout as rowing on the water, due to the lack of water resistance and certain movements such as the actual sweep of oars, they do still provide a thorough all over workout that is increasingly popular among regular gym members. There are even indoor rowing competitions for the truly dedicated landsman. One thing to be wary of when rowing, both on the water and off, is the nature of injuries. While sprains and breaks are very rare, especially off the water, knee joint and back pain are common complaints. One way to avoid such injuries is to learn good rowing technique, as this has developed over centuries to increase the endurance of rowers over long distances while minimising the strains and pains that incorrectly performing the activity can cause.