Rowing Machine vs Swimming: Which Is the Better Workout?

A rowing machine is the better workout for most people who want a convenient, measurable session at home, and swimming is better if you have pool access and want the least joint loading. At vigorous effort the two burn similar calories, so access and skill decide it. Choose the one you will still be doing 3 times a week in six months.

Side by side

	Rowing machine	Swimming
Ground impact	None, feet strapped in	None, water supports you
Skill barrier	Low to moderate	Moderate to high
Access	Home or gym, any time	Pool, with opening hours and often an entry fee
Main muscles	Legs, back, core, arms	Shoulders, back, core, legs, depending on stroke
Weather	Not a factor	Not a factor indoors
Progress numbers	Pace, power, distance	Lengths, time, stroke count
Breathing	Natural, free	Timed with the stroke

Rowing machine

Learn the stroke order and you are away within a few sessions. See the rowing machines hub for what to buy. Pace, distance and stroke rate on the monitor make progress easy to follow: a 500 m split that drops by 2 seconds over a month is a result you can see.

Swimming

Technique matters a lot and can take time to learn, though sessions get much easier once you have it. Lengths and time are the basic measures, and watches can count them for you. In open water, cold and currents add risk, so swim with others and follow local safety guidance.

Calories per 30 minutes

These are Harvard Health’s published estimates, not measurements of you.

Activity	155 lb (70 kg)	185 lb (84 kg)
Rowing machine, moderate	252	294
Swimming, general	216	252
Rowing machine, vigorous	369	440
Swimming laps, vigorous	360	420

Rowing comes out slightly ahead, but the gap at vigorous effort is under 5%: 369 against 360 is a difference of 9 calories. Estimates differ too much from person to person for that to decide anything. Choose based on how long you can keep going at a hard-but-sustainable effort. If weight is a goal, diet and regular habits count at least as much as the activity.

Joint load and injury

Water supports your body, so swimming is very gentle on joints for most people. Rowing is low impact but loads the back and hips, so keep good posture. Swimmers should watch their shoulders, and rowers their lower back. If you have an injury or health condition, speak to a GP or physio first, and stop if pain increases. See our guide to common rowing injuries.

Neither is a bone-loading exercise. The NHS says swimming does not count as weight-bearing, and rowing is done seated. Add strength work on 2 or more days a week whichever you pick.

Session ideas

	Rowing, 30 minutes	Swimming, 30 minutes
Warm-up	5 minutes easy	200 to 400 m easy
Main set	6 x 3 minutes firm, 1 minute easy between	6 x 100 m steady-firm, 20 to 30 seconds’ rest
Finish	Easy rowing to 30 minutes	Easy lengths to finish

Adjust the distances to your ability. Both work as steady sessions too. For a rower, a swim can be a pleasant recovery day that keeps you moving without loading the back.

A week using both

The NHS guideline for adults aged 19 to 64 is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Three 30-minute rows and two 30-minute swims make 150 minutes exactly. Add strength work on 2 days, before or after those sessions.

Which to pick

• Pick rowing if you want a convenient home option with clear numbers to chase.
• Pick swimming if you have pool access, enjoy the water, or want the least joint loading.
• Do both if you can. Swimming is useful cross-training for rowers. Read how swimming can help you become a better rower. To weigh up a different full-body machine as well, see rowing machine vs VersaClimber.

Common mistakes

1. Starting with a long session. Build up by 5 minutes at a time.
2. Skipping the warm-up in either activity.
3. Pushing through shoulder pain in the pool or lower back pain on the erg.
4. Treating one as a replacement for strength work. Neither builds heavy strength.

New to the erg? See how to use a rowing machine and the first month on the erg.