Rowing vs Running: Which Is Best for You?

Rowing vs running comes down to impact and convenience. Rowing is best for you if you want low impact and upper-body work, and running is best if you want the cheapest, simplest way to get fit. Both build heart and lung fitness well, and at a similar effort there’s no clear winner. If your knees or shins struggle, try rowing first. If you won’t make room for a machine, run.

Side by side

	Rowing	Running
Impact	No landing	About 2 x body weight or more on each step
Upper body	Back, shoulders and arms work	Minimal
Cost to start	Around £200 to £990 (checked 30 Oct 2026), or a gym	Shoes
Skill	A few sessions to learn the sequence	Low
Space	Up to 244 x 61 cm	None at home
Weather	Indoors	Outdoors
Typical problems	Lower back, hands	Shins, knees, feet
Best for	Joint-friendly fitness, all weathers	Travel, races, tight budgets

The impact figure comes from running research, which says vertical forces can exceed body weight by a factor of two or more while your foot is on the ground.

How hard each one is

The Compendium of Physical Activities rates energy use in METs, where 1 is sitting at rest. Its figures let you line up an erg split with a running pace. The splits are worked out from the erg’s power sum, watts = 2.80 ÷ pace³.

Activity	METs
Erg, under 100 watts (slower than about 2:32 per 500m)	5.0
Erg, 100 to 149 watts (about 2:32 to 2:13)	7.5
Jogging, general	7.5
Running at 5 mph (12 minutes per mile)	8.5
Running at 6 mph (10 minutes per mile)	9.3
Erg, 150 to 199 watts (about 2:13 to 2:00)	11.0
Running at 7 mph (about 8:30 per mile)	11.0

These are population averages, not your personal figures. They show that a beginner on an erg and a beginner jogging are working about as hard, and that neither sport has an edge once you’re fit. Effort decides the outcome.

Rowing recruits the legs, back, core and arms together. Running is led by the calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes, with the core steadying you.

The case for running

Running is cheap, simple and available anywhere. It needs shoes and a door. The NHS Couch to 5K plan takes 9 weeks, with 3 runs a week and rest days between. It starts with 1-minute runs and 1 minute 30 seconds of walking. Being weight-bearing, it also loads your legs in a way that rowing doesn’t.

The downside is impact. Overuse injuries in the feet, shins, knees and hips are common if you build too quickly. If you’re heavier or coming back from a long break, start with walk-run intervals and add time slowly. Weather and dark evenings can get in the way too. If you want to avoid the impact but stay on your feet, our comparison of rowing machines vs elliptical trainers looks at another option.

The case for rowing

Rowing is seated, and it trains the upper body as well as the legs. You can do it indoors in any weather, and one machine serves a beginner and an elite athlete alike.

It does need equipment. A cheap machine such as the Domyos Initial Rower 100 costs around £200 (checked 30 Oct 2026), and the Concept2 RowErg costs around £990 (checked 30 Oct 2026). Most gyms have ergs if you don’t want to buy. Our guide to the best rowing machines compares options.

Technique takes a few sessions to learn, and poor form can irritate the lower back. Learn the sequence before you add effort, and see rowing with lower back pain if yours is sore. Rowing on water takes more time and money than pulling on trainers, and competitive crews train often.

Fat loss and weight

Either can sit alongside a sensible diet and enough sleep, and neither guarantees weight loss. What you burn depends on how hard and how long you work, and published calorie estimates vary widely, so don’t plan around them. Our guide to rowing vs running for weight loss goes deeper, and the NHS weight loss guide offers free support.

Combining them

Runners add rowing to keep fitness while resting their legs from landing. Rowers run for variety and because it needs no kit when travelling. A simple week:

Day	Session
Monday	Row, 20 to 30 minutes easy
Wednesday	Run, 20 to 30 minutes easy
Friday	Row, 6 x 2 minutes firm with 1 minute easy
Sunday	Long easy run or row, 40 minutes

That’s about 2 hours a week. The NHS target for adults is 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, so a brisk walk or two would fill any gap. Build up to this rather than starting here. If you play a team sport, see how rowing fits around another sport.

Which should you choose?

• Choose rowing if you have sore knees, shins or feet, you want upper-body work, or you need something for dark, wet evenings.
• Choose running if your budget is tight, you travel a lot, you have no space, or you want to race a 5k.
• Do both if you can, because the variety spreads the load.
• Consider skipping if you want something shorter and very portable: our rowing vs skipping comparison covers it.

If you have joint or bone concerns, speak to your GP or a physio before you start. To begin rowing, follow your first month on the erg.