The Hot New Fitness Trend: Indoor Rowing Classes Take Over NYC

There’s a new fitness trend emerging in New York City (NYC) – indoor rowing classes! Rowing studios are popping up all over, filled with sleek rowing machines and enthusiastic athletes. What’s driving this trend and why are rowing workouts becoming so popular?

The Benefits of Indoor Rowing

Indoor rowing, often called erging, offers many benefits:

It’s a low-impact, full body workout that burns calories and builds muscle without stressing your joints
It works your legs, core, arms, and back in one fluid motion
The rowing stroke is natural and intuitive yet technical enough to be mentally engaging
It provides both cardio and strength training in one efficient workout
Most rowing studios focus on community, support, and healthy competition rather than cutthroat performance

Rowing Studiosprioritize Wellness

While rowing offers an effective workout, the growing popularity of rowing studios is about more than physical fitness. Many people are attracted to the mind-body connection and sense of community inherent in indoor rowing classes.

Studios like CityRow and Row House emphasize personal progress, mindfulness, and community over racing. With upbeat music and encouraging coaching, classes aim to make rowing accessible for everyone. The focus is on the experience just as much as the workout.

Rowing: An Egalitarian Sport

Rowing has an inherently egalitarian ethos. Men and women train and compete together. Rowing emphasizes teamwork, trust, and community in addition to individual excellence.

As rowing breaks into mainstream fitness, these inclusive and cooperative values persist. Rowing classes bring together people of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds. Anyone can hop on a rowing machine and pull – it’s the ultimate democratic sport.

FAQ

What muscles does rowing work?

Rowing works all the major muscle groups in both the upper and lower body. It engages your legs, glutes, core, back, arms, and shoulders in one fluid movement.

Is rowing high or low impact?

Rowing is low-impact because there is no harsh pounding like with running. The rowing stroke is smooth, and done properly, the movement is fluid. This makes rowing a lower stress exercise for your joints.

Is rowing good cardio?

Yes, rowing gets your heart rate up and is an excellent cardiorespiratory exercise. Done at higher intensities, rowing can be highly demanding cardio training.

Is rowing hard to learn?

The basics of the rowing stroke are quite intuitive, especially on specialized erg machines in rowing studios. Learning good rowing technique does take some practice but group fitness classes provide coaching so beginners can learn efficiently.

Who is indoor rowing for?

One of the great things about indoor rowing is that it’s suitable for almost everyone. Rowing works for young and old, fit and deconditioned, athletic and novice exercisers. The smooth, low impact motion is gentle on joints which makes rowing very inclusive.