Rowing is a nearly full body exercise, as it stimulates most of the major muscle groups - including your lats (latissimus dorsi), upper back (rhomboids), quads (quadriceps), hamstrings, core, biceps, and forearms. In addition to aiding weight loss, rowing supports your health in several ways. It’s comparable to running in terms of calories expended, though it has less impact on your joints. Rowing boosts weight loss by providing a significant calorie burn, though you should be sure to pair it with a proper diet.
That said, as neither exercise is vastly different in terms of calories burned, you should choose whichever you prefer - or alternate between them. This means that rowing may be a better option for people with preexisting injuries or other conditions. Notably, running tends to be a higher impact exercise than rowing. In general, running seems to burn slightly more calories than rowing.įor example, a 175-pound (79-kg) person running at moderate intensity (12-minute mile pace, or 7 minutes per km) for about 1 hour burns around 616 calories, or 154 calories every 15 minutes - versus 560 and 140 calories, respectively, from moderate rowing ( 2).Īs with rowing, the number of calories burned running varies based on exercise intensity and body size. While running and rowing are vastly different exercises, you can compare them based on the number of calories they burn. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) suggest that you get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week ( 8).Īs rowing is predominantly an aerobic exercise, it’s important to tack on resistance training for best results. Physical activity guidelines from the U.S.
Studies suggest that a combination of aerobic exercise (cardio) and resistance training (like weight lifting) is optimal for fat loss ( 6, 7). If you’re looking to cut your total calorie intake, try eating more protein and veggies to keep you full, switching to zero-calorie drinks like water, and eliminating processed foods ( 6).
When you supplement rowing with a proper diet, you’ll probably start to lose weight in the form of fat loss.Įxercises like rowing help mobilize fats in your body so that they can be used as energy ( 3, 4, 5).Ī nutritious diet that provides fewer calories than you burn may also help burn fat. Keep in mind that varying your intensity changes the number of calories you burn.