5 Ways a Rowing Machine Can Support Your Health

A rowing machine can support your health in 5 ways: it trains your heart and lungs, works most of your major muscles, helps with weight management, can lift your mood and may improve your sleep. What it can’t do is guarantee you won’t get ill, so treat any claim that rowing “boosts your immunity” with care.

None of this replaces medical advice. If you have a health condition, check with your GP before starting a new exercise routine.

The 5 ways at a glance

Health area	What rowing does	What it won’t do
Heart and lungs	Raises your heart rate for as long as you row	Replace medical treatment
Muscles	Works legs, back, core and arms	Give you a complete strength programme
Weight	Uses energy, which adds up over weeks	Guarantee weight loss
Mood	Offers rhythm, routine and time away	Replace support for depression or anxiety
Sleep	Regular activity is linked with better sleep	Fix a long-term sleep problem

1. It raises your heart rate

Rowing uses large muscle groups together, so your heart and lungs have to keep up. The NHS physical activity guidelines suggest adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, spread across 4 to 5 days or more.

On a rower, the sums are simple:

• Moderate: 5 sessions of 30 minutes makes 150 minutes. You should be breathing faster but still able to talk in short sentences.
• Vigorous: 3 sessions of 25 minutes makes 75 minutes. You should only manage a few words at a time.
• Starting out: 3 sessions of 15 to 20 minutes, adding a few minutes each week.

The NHS links regular activity with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. If you are new, our first month on the erg guide builds up in small steps.

2. It works muscles throughout the body

Each stroke runs through the legs, back, core and arms. The legs do the largest share, so start every drive with them, then swing the body and finally draw the arms in. Our guide to what rowing does to your body goes through it muscle by muscle.

Rowing is not a full strength programme, though. The NHS also recommends strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week. 20 minutes of squats, press-ups and resistance band work on two other days would meet that. Our guide to getting into shape with just a rowing machine sets out what rowing alone misses.

3. It can help with weight management

Rowing uses energy, and regular exercise can help alongside a balanced diet. Results vary a lot between people, and exercise alone is rarely the whole picture, so we won’t put a number on what you might lose. Our page on rowing for weight loss gives a realistic view, and the NHS has free weight management advice if you want a structured plan. For another claim worth treating with care, see whether a rowing machine can get rid of cellulite.

4. It can lift your mood

The NHS says physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, and it links regular activity with a lower risk of depression. A steady row has a rhythm that some people find calming, and 20 minutes with a podcast after work gives you a clear break in the day.

If you are struggling with your mood, talk to your GP. Exercise can sit alongside proper support, but it is not a substitute for it.

5. It can support better sleep

Regular activity is linked with better sleep quality, but timing matters. Hard intervals late in the evening can leave some people wired. If that sounds familiar, move hard sessions to at least a few hours before bed, or keep evening rows easy for 2 weeks and compare how you sleep. Trouble sleeping that goes on for weeks is worth raising with your GP.

What about immunity?

The science is less settled than headlines suggest. For years, the common view was the “open window”: the idea that hard, prolonged exercise leaves you open to infection for some hours afterwards. A 2018 review in Frontiers in Immunology challenged that view. It argued that exercise most likely improves immune competency across the lifespan. It also pointed to other causes of illness around big events, such as poor sleep, stress, poor nutrition and mixing with crowds. Other researchers still disagree, so it’s not a closed question.

The practical advice holds either way:

• Keep most of your rowing at an easy to moderate effort.
• Build up gradually, with at least 2 rest days a week.
• Eat and sleep well, especially in heavy training.
• Treat repeated colds, unusual tiredness or poor sleep as a sign to take an easy week.

Rowing when you are ill

Mayo Clinic’s guidance on exercising with a cold follows the familiar rule of thumb about the neck.

Symptoms	What to do
Above the neck: runny nose, blocked nose, sneezing, minor sore throat	Shorter, easier session, or rest
Below the neck: chest congestion, hacking cough, upset stomach	Rest
Fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches	Rest
Anything contagious	Stay away from shared gym equipment

Come back gradually, with shorter and easier sessions for the first few days. If you feel properly unwell, or you are not sure, ask your GP or pharmacist.

A simple weekly routine

Day	Session
Mon	Row 20 to 30 minutes, easy to moderate
Tue	Strength work, 20 minutes
Wed	Rest
Thu	Row 20 to 30 minutes, easy to moderate
Fri	Strength work, 20 minutes
Sat	Row 30 minutes, with 4 x 1 minute firmer once you have a base
Sun	Rest or a walk

That gives you up to 90 minutes of rowing and 2 strength days. A 30-minute walk on three other days would take you past 150 minutes. Our training plans offer more structured options when you are ready, and our guide to adding rowing machine workouts to your fitness routine shows how to fit sessions around other training.