Rowing Workouts: Bring Outdoor Rowing Into Your Home

Does working out against a backdrop of beautiful scenery help you get inspired? Do you want to enjoy the great outdoors on-demand from the comfort of your own home (And without the unpredictable weather)?

Rowing workouts on the water are a special, soul-enriching experience. But as many water rowers know, choppy conditions or unexpected white caps can quickly derail workout goals into just trying to stay afloat. With Hydrow, you can bring the spirit of outdoor rowing workouts right into your home. And as it turns out, the good vibes of beautiful scenery can actually improve your experience! In this article, we’ll explain why.

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Rowing workouts: Feeling good thanks to Live Outdoor Reality™

According to research published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, being outside in nature for just five minutes a day can lead to a boost in mood. But here’s the cool part: A recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that the benefits of being out in nature are also experienced when viewing the great outdoors through a screen or immersive environment. Hydrow’s Live Outdoor Reality™ feature helps you feel like you’re on the water with each and every class.

What the heck is Live Outdoor Reality™ (LOR)? LOR is Hydrow’s proprietary broadcasting technology, allowing you to connect in real time with Athletes out on the water. To maximize the number of outdoor live workouts available throughout the year, our Athletes travel around the country to introduce you to new and vibrant landscapes. 

In some recent broadcasts:

- Nick led a recent live workout in Miami, Florida; - Dani led a live workout from Chattanooga, Tennessee; and - Mike led a live workout from beautiful upstate Vermont.

Whether it be our usual stomping grounds or a specialty destination row from around the world, the splendor of the outdoors is beamed to your living room in real time to help create an immersive experience. Live Outdoor Reality™ presents an opportunity to work out alongside incredible Athletes in a truly immersive setting.

How Hydrow’s Live Outdoor Reality™ works

Shot by our talented crew of directors, producers, videographers, and sound engineers, every Hydrow workout is filmed from the rower’s perspective, placing you in the perfect position to see, hear, and experience every element of your row. The camaraderie and connection you’d experience out on the water in a boat with your teammates is now available on-demand from the comfort of your own home.

Part of what makes the Hydrow experience effective is that the hardware itself is sleek and quiet. Hydrow’s industrial-grade webbed strap makes for near-silent strokes, while its 10-roller system seat moves with you fluidly. The motivational cues and music are all you hear.

Here’s how Live Rows at Hydrow work:

- On the Home screen of your Hydrow, you can swipe up to reveal upcoming live rows, programs, popular rows, and helpful tips. - The live row goes live 5 minutes before the workout begins, so you can hop on early and hang out! Our Athletes use this time to announce member milestones and get excited. - The Hydrow app will also tell you when upcoming live rows are taking place.

Live Rows take place Tuesdays-Saturdays. But that doesn’t mean you can’t row whenever you want! Hydrow’s library of workouts has over 2,000 sessions to choose from as well as a robust collection of On The Mat workouts to keep your body strong and healthy. 

The same proprietary technology that’s used to give you a live experience is leveraged to film and upload hundreds of high-definition workouts of various intensities and lengths to meet your needs. With Hydrow, rowing to the sights of gorgeous foliage or a beautiful sunrise is just a few taps of the touch screen away.

How to recreate a water rowing workout on an indoor rower: Tips

Rowing on the water is a unique workout experience. But by making a few adjustments to your form – and using your imagination a bit –  you’ll be able to replicate the same experience on Hydrow. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

- Imagine your oars pushing through water. The part of your rowing stroke in which you exert the most effort and straighten your legs is called the drive. When rowers are on the water, the drive is when the athlete guides their oars through the water itself. The resistance experienced during this effort is what makes rowing one heck of a workout! As you row, imagine your “oars” pushing against water.

- Engage your core throughout. The core is engaged throughout the rowing stroke; this helps rowers stay balanced on the water, particularly when waves or wakes from other boats appear. Think of it as a perk that your core will get really strong! To replicate this experience for yourself, feel for core engagement throughout your workout, especially during the drive and finish components of your strokes. 

- Take control. When you’re on the water, your movements dictate every ebb and flow of the experience. You can recreate this experience on an indoor rower, but it takes some awareness! Imagine that you’re on bumpy water and need to keep your body tight to stabilize yourself; this alone can dramatically increase the effectiveness of your workout.

Tuning in to a live workout can not only keep you motivated; it’ll also help you reap the benefits of experiencing nature and the outdoors, all from the comfort of your own home. This is Live Outdoor Reality™, and it’s here to stay; learn more about it and other features of Hydrow right here.