From Burned Out to Back on Track: How My Hydrow Rower Is Helping Me Take Control of My Health

This blog is a guest post from Hydrow Member Michael Sullivan. 

If you had told me a year ago that I’d be waking up early to row every morning, I probably would’ve laughed. My life was on autopilot: wake up, commute, work as a civil engineer, come home, tackle errands, wrangle two kids with my wife, squeeze in some video games, and repeat. Fitness? That had fallen by the wayside the second we had kids. My friends warned me that would happen, and I stubbornly didn’t believe them—until it did.

Before kids, I ran marathons. I was in the military. I had structure. But slowly, life chipped away at that discipline. I gained weight—up to 220 pounds from the 175 I left the military at. I started wearing a glucose monitor after my doctor suggested I could have insulin resistance. I knew I needed to change, but trying to overhaul my health felt overwhelming.

So, I started listening to podcasts—Joe Rogan, Diary of a CEO, Modern Wisdom—anything to motivate me. Everywhere I turned, I heard the same advice: Lift weights, do cardio, stay consistent. That all sounds great—if you have three hours a day. I don’t. I’ve got about 30 to 45 minutes, max. So I started researching. My wife casually suggested a rowing machine. I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole, and that’s how I found Hydrow.

Why rowing, and why Hydrow?

Rowing checked every box: full-body workout, efficient, low-impact, and scalable. I read that it activates 86% of your major muscle groups. For a guy like me, who wants cardio, strength, and convenience, it was the smartest option.

I compared a few rowers (Hydrow, Concept2, Ergatta), but Hydrow stood out. The design is sleek, it’s quiet enough to use inside without waking up my family, and the screen sold me. The Athletes are engaging, the scenic rows transport you around the world, and the leaderboard tricks your brain into working harder. (Seriously, nothing gets me going like trying to beat “Jimmy529” by a couple of meters.)

Establishing the habit

I bought my Hydrow about a month ago and started rowing every morning in May. For 25 straight days, I got up early and rowed for at least 20 minutes. I wasn’t perfect—got knocked out by a sinus infection at the end of the month—but I look at my Hydrow app now and see that sea of blue dots marking each day I showed up for myself. That visual progress motivates me. It proves I’m on a path.

Honestly, I haven’t lost much weight yet, but my clothes fit better. My shirts feel looser. My lower back feels stronger than it has in years, and I sleep better. I’ve still got a long way to go—my goal is to get back down to around 170 and lower my resting heart rate to under 90—but I’ve started. And that’s everything.

More than the numbers

Of course, I want to feel good in my body again, but the deeper “why” is about longevity. I lost my mom at 23 from an unexplained health issue. That rocked me. I look at my kids (1 and 3) and I think: I want to be there when they have kids. I want to chase my grandkids around someday. That’s the emotional drive behind all this.

I don’t care about being shredded. I just want to be healthy, strong, and here. Hydrow is helping me do that—on my time, in a way that fits into my chaotic life.

Advice for anyone considering Hydrow?

Just do it. You’ll be amazed how fast 30 minutes can fly when someone’s coaching you through a row in Prague or Spain. It’s like travel, competition, and fitness wrapped into one. And with over 5,000 classes, I’ve barely scratched the surface.

I’ve even convinced my wife to start rowing now that her dance teaching season has slowed down. I’ve got two buddies I’m trying to convert, too—they still don’t quite get it, but I’m working on them.

Taking things one row at a time

I’m not trying to win medals or break records. I just want to be healthy enough to enjoy my life—really enjoy it. I want to be present for my kids now and still be there decades from now. That’s what this journey is about.

Hydrow has given me something I didn’t realize I was missing: consistency. A way to fit fitness into my real life. A routine that feels doable, sustainable, and even enjoyable. I still have work to do—weight to lose, glucose to lower, strength to build—but I finally feel like I’m headed in the right direction.

This isn’t a quick fix. It’s a long game. And now, I have the tools to play it.