Buying A Rowing Machine For Exercise

If you are looking to purchase one, you first need to determine which resistance method you want your machine to have: water, air, magnet, or piston.

If you are looking for a low-impact piece of exercise equipment that can provide everything from fat-burning cardiovascular aerobic workouts to anaerobic strength-training workouts, you should consider purchasing a rowing machine.There are numerous brands and styles to choose from, and there is a wide price range as well.A rowing machine is great for a home gym, and some are even compact enough to be stored underneath your bed or couch.Whether you have real-life (meaning, on water) rowing experience or not, using a rowing machine is a great way to stay active and healthy.

Rowing machines are designed to imitate actual boat rowing so that it feels as if you are pushing oars through water as you use the machine.As an oar is pushed forward and pulled back with a fluid motion in real water, the water acts as the resistance.The resistance when using a rowing machine is produced by using one of four methods: water resistance, piston resistance, magnetic resistance, and air resistance.The most common method used is air resistance, but machines made using the piston resistance method are the most inexpensive.

If you are looking for a quiet machine because you like to work out early in the morning or you live in an apartment complex with thin walls, your best bet is to get a magnetic rowing machine.Also, magnetic machines generally accommodate resistance changes faster than water or piston resistance machines.On the other hand, magnetic machines do not replicate water rowing as closely as machines that rely on water resistance or air resistance.The Tunturi Rowing Machine R610 with Magnetic Resistance is a top-notch rowing machine that retails for about $1300, and it has an array of special features.This product is virtually silent, plus it comes equipped with an electronic console that displays time, the number of strokes, the number of strokes per minute, and energy consumption.Another machine that relies on magnetic and air resistance is the Wynne R80 Pro.This machine retails for about $800, far less than the Tunturi R610, but it still has some great features, such as an electronic performance monitor, and eight levels of resistance.

Even though rowing machines that rely on piston resistance are the lowest quality rowing machines, they can still give you a great workout.These machines aren't likely to last as long as the machines with alternate resistance methods, but you should be able to get at least a few solid years out of a piston-resistance machine.For about $200, you can purchase a brand new Edge 250 Rowing Machine, which has a training computer and variable resistance.If you are going to be buying a piston rowing machine, make sure that you personally try it out before you finalize your purchase because some models can feel very flimsy.

Rowing machines that rely on water or air resistance are going to be expensive compared to piston machines, but they are very durable and reliable in comparison as well.If you can afford to spend a substantial amount of money on an exercise machine, then your best bet is to skip over the magnetic (unless the noise level is critical to you) and piston devices and go straight for the air and water machines.One of the best air resistance machines on the market is the Tunturi R710, which goes for about $1200.The air resistance on this machine automatically increases as you speed up, giving it a very realistic rowing feel.One of the best water resistance rowing machines is the First Degree Fitness Fluid Rower, which sells for about $2000.This is an impeccable machine, professional-quality, and it features 20 variable resistance levels, an electronic performance-tracking console, and plus it comes in three colors: grey, yellow, or black.

© High Speed Ventures 2011