The Rowing Machine You Keep Walking Past
How to find your rhythm, build confidence and get more from indoor rowing.
A rowing machine brings together a leg push, movement through the hips and a pull with the arms, creating a workout that can develop cardiovascular fitness while involving much of the body. Getting comfortable with it takes a little practice. Learning the sequence, choosing a manageable setting and beginning with short sessions can help you settle into the movement and discover whether rowing is something you enjoy.
10 Top Tips for Getting Started with Indoor Rowing
- Ask for a demonstration. A gym instructor who understands rowing technique can help you get comfortable with the machine and spot awkward movements early.
- Adjust the footrests. Position the straps across the widest part of your feet and fasten them securely without making them uncomfortable.
- Choose a manageable setting. On a Concept2, a damper setting around three or four is a reasonable starting point. Other machines have different controls.
- Learn the sequence. Begin the stroke with your legs, follow with your body and finish with your arms. Reverse that order as you return.
- Take your time coming forwards. A controlled return gives you time to prepare for the next stroke.
- Sit comfortably tall. Keep your shoulders relaxed and hinge through your hips, maintaining the natural shape of your back.
- Hold the handle lightly. Keep your wrists straight and avoid squeezing harder than you need to.
- Keep the stroke rate manageable. British Rowing suggests roughly 18–24 strokes per minute while learning, allowing time to practise the movement.
- Begin with short, easy efforts. Brief rowing intervals with rests between them give you opportunities to check your position and breathing.
- Build gradually. Add time as the movement becomes comfortable. Stop if rowing causes pain and seek appropriate advice before continuing.
Getting Comfortable on the Seat
The first few minutes on a rowing machine can involve a surprising amount of administration. There are footrests to adjust, a sliding seat to negotiate and a screen displaying several numbers before you have decided which one to watch.
Give yourself time to become familiar with it. Ask someone to show you how to secure your feet, select a simple display and change the settings. Practising when the gym is quieter may also make it easier to ask questions.
On a Concept2, the lever beside the fan controls airflow and changes how each stroke feels. A higher setting makes the flywheel heavier to accelerate. Your effort also depends on how much force you apply through the stroke, so a comfortable setting leaves plenty of scope for a demanding workout later.
For now, choose a setting that lets you move smoothly and concentrate on the sequence.
Make Room for Something New. Talk to Coach Max about where a short rowing session could fit into your week, alongside the exercise you already enjoy.
Learning the Movement
At the front of the stroke, your arms are extended, your shoulders relaxed and your upper body tipped slightly forwards from the hips. Bring your shins towards vertical within a comfortable range.
Begin by pressing through your feet. As your legs extend, allow your upper body to move through upright into a slight backward lean, then draw the handle towards your lower ribs. Keep the movements connected, with the legs doing their work before the arms finish the stroke.
To return, extend your arms, tip forwards from the hips and then bend your knees as the seat slides towards the front.
This takes some coordination. If your knees come up too soon, the handle has to travel over them. If your arms bend immediately, you can find yourself pulling hard before your legs have contributed much.
Practise gently enough to notice what is happening. An instructor watching a few strokes can often identify the point where the sequence becomes awkward. As it becomes familiar, the movement should feel increasingly continuous.
Understanding the Screen
Two useful numbers are stroke rate and pace. Stroke rate tells you how many strokes you take per minute. Pace, often shown as a 500-metre split, estimates how long that distance would take at your current output.
During early sessions, use the display to notice consistency. You might practise keeping a comfortable stroke rate while checking whether your pace remains reasonably steady.
It is easy to become absorbed in chasing a number, particularly when the person beside you appears to be crossing the Atlantic before breakfast. Give yourself a few sessions to learn what a comfortable effort feels like and how the display responds to it.
Choose a Useful First Goal. Coach Max can help you set a goal around learning the movement and making time to practise, with progress you can recognise after each visit.
A First Session to Try
British Rowing’s beginner programme opens with one minute of easy rowing followed by one minute of rest, repeated five times. That gives you five minutes of rowing, divided into manageable efforts.
Begin with around five minutes of gentle movement to warm up. During each rowing interval, keep the effort comfortable enough to hold a conversation. Use the rests to relax your grip, check your position and think about one part of the technique.
Finish with a gentle cool-down. Shorten the session if needed, and allow yourself to repeat it on another day before increasing the rowing time.
For someone accustomed to longer workouts, this may feel like a modest introduction. There is still plenty to practise in those five minutes, particularly when you are learning how to coordinate the return without rushing.
What Regular Rowing Can Offer
Indoor rowing can provide sustained cardiovascular exercise through a movement involving the legs, trunk and upper body. Its seated position and lack of repeated landings may also appeal to people who enjoy a smoother form of exercise.
A small controlled study published in 2023 found improved aerobic fitness after ten weeks of rowing training in post-menopausal women. Thirteen women completed the rowing programme, which involved three sessions each week. The small sample limits how widely the findings can be applied, although it provides evidence that regular rowing can develop fitness in people new to the activity.
For an everyday routine, rowing offers flexibility. Once you have learnt the movement, you can gradually work towards longer comfortable sessions or introduce appropriately paced intervals. It can sit alongside strength training, walking, cycling and whatever else keeps you active.
Find a Reason to Return. Use a conversation with Coach Max to reflect on your first few sessions, what you enjoyed and what would make another visit easier to arrange.
There is a particular satisfaction in becoming comfortable with equipment that previously felt unfamiliar. You know where to put your feet, what the screen is telling you and how to settle into a steady rhythm. On your next visit, you can sit down and begin with a clearer idea of what you want to practise.