Is rowing better than running?
Noah Mitchell
Published Jan 21, 2026
To Run or Row? When it comes to rowing vs running, both activities have their benefits. But if you're looking for a low impact, high reward cardiovascular exercise, go with rowing. It can help you develop your upper-body and lower-body muscles and achieve any fitness goal you set your mind on.To Run or Row? When it comes to rowing vs running, both activities have their benefits. But if you're looking for a low impact, high reward cardiovascular exercise Cardiovascular fitness is a health-related component of physical fitness that is brought about by sustained physical activity. A person's ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles is affected by many physiological parameters, including heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and maximal oxygen consumption. › wiki › Cardiovascular_fitness
Is rowing or running better for weight loss?
While running and rowing are vastly different exercises, you can compare them based on the number of calories they burn. In general, running seems to burn slightly more calories than rowing.
Is rowing a good substitute for running?
Rowing is a great cardio exercise that targets the upper body muscles. The rowing machine might not be as popular as the treadmill at your gym, but rowing is a great alternative to running for your workout. Not only does rowing burn calories and strengthen your heart, it also offers other benefits that running doesn't.
How much rowing is equal to running?
Runners use a 400m distance as the basis for track workouts, which is one full lap. In rowing, 500m is an approximate equivalent. Try 500m rowing repeats instead of 400m running repeats: 4 x 500m with 1 minute rest in between. Keep your stroke rate up to work on fast twitch muscles (stroke rate 28–36 spm).
Is running harder than rowing?
As you go slower, rowing gets easier faster than running does. Running a 5k in 15 minutes is easier than rowing a 5k in 15 minutes, but doing 5k in 30 minutes is probably easier on the erg than running it.
37 related questions foundCan you get in shape by just rowing?
Rowing is a calorie-burning cardio workout that can quickly strengthen your body. Rowing machine before and after photos often show improvement across the entire body. But rowing is particularly beneficial for the back, shoulders, abs and arms.
Is rowing good for abs?
You'll get a full-body workout
Maybe you think rowing = ripped arms. But according to the American Fitness Professionals Association, rowing is 65 to 75 percent legs and 25 to 35 percent upper bod. It'll shred your upper back, pecs, arms, abs, and obliques. It'll also strengthen those quads, calves, and glutes.
Is 20 minutes of rowing enough?
Rowing workouts around 20 minutes in length
Studies show that endorphins, the neurochemicals that release during exercise and make you feel good, regularly kick in around the 20-minute mark. A workout around 20 minutes can give you a full-body burn that leaves you feeling good for hours to come.
How long should I row every day?
In terms of time, weight loss is best achieved with consistency, so aim for at least 30 minutes per day on a rower, anywhere from 4 to 6 times a week. Make sure you're getting enough rest days, especially if you're just getting started!
Do you burn more calories running or rowing?
"Running typically burns more calories than rowing because it's a more demanding form of cardio since you're working against gravity," Tuttle says, although that depends on someone's fitness level and how hard they're working. "Truly both are good for calorie burn and overall health," Tuttle says.
Is walking or rowing better exercise?
As we mentioned before, you burn more calories per hour on a treadmill than a rower. However, fat loss is a different matter. Using a rowing machine builds much more muscle than a treadmill, and we know this muscle will help you burn more calories throughout the day.
Is a rower or bike better?
In general, bikes and rowing machines burn equal calories.
However, rowers are frequently used for HIIT workouts and offer the benefit of after-burn, where the body continues an accelerated rate of burning calories long after the workout. Taking this into consideration, HIIT rowing burns more calories than biking.
Is a rowing machine strength or cardio?
“Rowing has both an aerobic aspect to it and also a strength aspect,” Dempers says. “You can adjust the tension of the machine for a heavier pull and you're still driving through your legs.” Your back also gets a workout as you shift back and forth on your pulls.
Is rowing 30 minutes a day good for you?
A 30-minute rowing workout will strengthen the muscles in your upper body, lower body, and core, as well as increase your cardiovascular endurance. Also, according to Harvard Health, a 125-pound person can burn 255 calories in 30 minutes of a vigorous rowing workout.
What exercise burns most calories in 30 minutes?
Running at even a slow pace burns a lot of calories for 30 minutes. On average, running burns between 10.8 to 16 calories per minute and putting it at the top of the list of workouts that burn the most calories. To up the calorie burn, increase the intensity or add in sprint intervals.
Does rowing burn more fat than running?
So: rowing increases your muscle mass.
And that means you'll burn more fat with rowing than with running. Pro tip: Incorporate strength training to increase muscle mass if you choose running over a rowing machine. Warning: Try not to use free weights when you're running if you're a beginner.
Does rowing burn belly fat?
2.1 Rowing Can't Spot Reduce Your Belly Fat, No Exercise Can
It's true that spot-training exercises will make you “feel the burn” while muscles grow and strengthen. However, studies show they won't help you get rid of belly fat.
How far should I be rowing in 30 minutes?
The Rankings also show an average, 6221 meters. It feels good to put workout data in perspective. For beginners, it would be exceptional to row over 7000 meters in 30 minutes. It would be more expected that you'll start out closer to the 25th percentile, and move higher up, as your fitness and skills improve.
Is indoor rowing good exercise?
Indoor rowing provides excellent upper and lower body conditioning. A powerful leg drive starts every stroke – your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals fire up to push you along the slide.
Why rowing is the best exercise?
While other endurance exercises like running and cycling are lower body dominant, rowing machines recruit muscles in your arms, back, shoulders, chest, forearms and core, as well as your hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes, for a more efficient exercise session.
How long should you row for beginners?
Tips. Row for a minimum of 5 minutes and a maximum of 20 minutes when starting out. Keep a log of what you do each week, it will help with monitoring progress and motivation. Include other forms of exercises such as walking, jogging, tennis, swimming, weight training etc.
What muscles does the rower use?
The beauty of a rowing stroke is that it activates the lower body (like your quadriceps and glutes), upper body (like deltoids and lats), and core muscles (the coveted abdominal muscles) all at once. Many believe that rowing is all about leg strength, but as you can see, this couldn't be further from the truth.
Can you get a 6 pack from rowing?
Do Rowing Machines Benefit Abs? The answer to the question is without-a-doubt YES. A rowing machine benefits abs by constantly engaging the core throughout every rowing stroke and being a full-body fat burning workout. A person will not see their abs unless they get rid of the layer of fat on top of them!
How do you breathe while rowing?
During low intensity rowing (one breath)—Exhale gradually on the drive, expelling all remaining air at the finish. Inhale on the recovery. During high intensity rowing (two breaths)—Exhale as you finish the drive. During the recovery, inhale, then exhale quickly.
How much should I row to lose weight?
When rowing for weight loss, workout consistency and duration are key. For maximum results, strive to complete 30–50 minutes of rowing five to six times per week. Aim for a comfortable intensity of moderate, steady work where you can still carry on a conversation.
