Are you looking for the right exercising equipment but getting confused to choose one? For cardiovascular exercise, both treadmills and rowing machines are quite popular. For these kinds of exercising equipment, the price has greatly dropped in recent years, and you can buy the best rowing machine at a very affordable price.
Treadmills and rowing machine machines are becoming more popular for losing weight and shaping your body. So, how do you compare these two exercising equipment? That is what is done in this article. Let’s find out more!
Rowing Machine vs Treadmill for weight loss & Bodybuilding
A Rowing machine and treadmill are both highly popular exercising equipment. To make the best choice between rowing machine vs. treadmill, we need to consider some certain criteria.
If you visit the gym a lot, then you know treadmills are more popular than rowing machines as most people think running is more practical for an ideal exercise. This is not always the truth. Between rowing vs. running, rowing is more suitable for long time regular exercise. It is also more ideal than lifestyler cardio fit for the people who are less fit for high impact exercises. Rowing not only strengthen the heart and burn calories but also provides other benefits which running doesn’t. If you are interested in low impact exercises that gradually strengthen your lower body as well as the upper body, then the rowing machine can be a perfect alternative.
Which Machine Better in Terms of Muscle Movement?
When you run, you use the muscles of your lower body part. Your hamstrings, claves, hip flexors and quads move faster compared to the upper body part. The biceps and abs of your body only act as supporting body parts and are less affected by the exercise. On the other hand, when you row, both of your lower body and upper body muscles serve as primary muscles, and more muscles get strengthened. For this reason, both of your upper body and lower body are equally improved.
In Terms of Protecting Joints
Rowing is a low impact physical exercise and also you do not have to carry your body weight while rowing. For this reason, rowing causes less tear and wear to your joints and bones. It is essential to know if your bones and joints are weak. For the people with arthritis, running causes more damage to their bones rather than strengthening them. Of course, you can harm your joints by doing any types of physical activities if you fail to follow proper position.
In Terms of Burning Calories
While talking about burning calories, we can quickly determine that running on a treadmill is more effective than a rowing machine. So, if you consider spinning vs. running for faster calorie burn, you can consider running. According to the research of American Council on Physical Exercise, it has been found that a man with 150 pounds of weight burns 158 calories while rowing for 30 minutes in average speed, but burns more than 180 calories while running or the same time at 5 miles per hour speed. In a study of the journal “Journal of the American Medical Association” (Issue: May 1996), it was found that, for burning more calories a day, a treadmill is superior to a rowing machine.
However, if you want a slow and moderate burning process without hurting yourself, rowing is ideal for you.
In Terms of Reliability
Rowing machines are more reliable compared to the treadmill because treadmill requires electricity, it has a treadbelt and large motors. Treadbelt is the surface of the treadmill on which we run. Eventually, this treadbelt wear out after usage and needs replacement. Treadmill motor is another essential part which may malfunction any time.
On the other hand, rowing machines do not require electricity; do not have motors and tread belts. The best rowing machine can serve years of use without any trouble at all. For this reason, rowing machines are more reliable than treadmills.
Rowing Machine vs. Treadmill: Pros and Cons
Treadmills and rowing machines both are good exercise tools with their pros and cons. Form the above discussion, let’s find out the pros and cons of each equipment;
Pros of Rowing Machine
- It is less expensive
- It does not require a power source
- Does not have treadbelts and motors
- Low impact physical activity
Cons of Rowing Machine
- Moving all body parts at a time requires some getting used to
- Slower Calorie Burn
Pros of Treadmills
- Faster calorie burn
- Running is a more familiar movement than rowing
Cons of Treadmills
- Require power source and have motors and tread belts
- Loud and noisy
- Heavier and bulkier
- High impact physical activity may cause injuries
Final Words
A treadmill is for relatively healthy and strong persons who are interested in losing fat and calorie faster. Using a rowing machine is not like lifting weight, but it is perfect for overall low impact cardiovascular workout which strengthens both the upper and lower body muscles. For this reason, doctors recommend their patient to use a rowing machine. Moreover, you do not have to worry about falling and breaking your nose if you use a rowing machine instead of a treadmill.
After reading the above discussion we believe, you have understood the differences and choose the right one between rowing machine vs. treadmill. If you have any more questions, please write to us.
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