Biking vs. rowing: Are all cardio machines created equal? A friend of mine is looking to buy a cardio machine for his house and asked me whether Id recommend investing in a stationary bike or a rower. The answer hands down? ROWER! The first thing is that the right machine is the one you are most likely to DO. And for sure an intense spinning class will get your heart pumping and those endorphins flowing. But generally speaking, if youre wondering where to spend your time, a rower is way more efficient than a bike. Here are a few reasons why... - a bike is not weight bearing so doesnt make bones stronger (neither is rower, but it has other advantages) - a bike is mostly lower body - a bike can be set so resistance is pretty minimal and youre just coasting. Rower, on the other hand, forces movement through the whole posterior chain. In other words, on top of the cardio workout, it works your muscles from the top of your shoulder blades all the way down your back, bum, hamstrings and calves. This is important because we all curve forward way too much. Too much sitting, driving, typing on keyboard or phone, channel surfing, cooking etc. has our shoulders curved inwards and our thighs bent. We gotta work the back muscles way more so that we can stand straight and tall. Fixing posture helps with breathing, sleeping, reduces risk of injury, reduces back aches, etc. etc. Last but not least, rowing teaches the body correct pulling/lifting movement patterns and how to get all the parts moving together. Long story long, rowing is harder, but time way better spent.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 03:14:24 +0000
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