To continue reading…
This article is exclusively for Rowing News subscribers. For as little as $5 a month, you can get access to the best quality, independent reporting on all the issues that matter to the North American rowing community.
Warming up for rowing is an important component of your training so your joints are mobilized and your muscles activated for the work ahead.
A warm-up is more effective when dynamic (moving) rather than static (not moving) because it stimulates circulation to your joints and muscles.
Here’s a simple 10-minute pre-row land warm-up routine that can be done anywhere. Perform the exercises moving from your feet up. Repeat each exercise 10 times.
Begin with ankle circumduction. Stand on one leg, your thigh parallel to the ground, and rotate your ankle in both directions. Then do the same with your other leg.
Stand upright and rise on the tips of your toes. Lower your weight to activate your calves and plantar flexion.
Stretch your calves by leaning into a wall, with the leg you want to stretch behind you, its heel on the floor. Lean forward and bring your opposite knee toward your chest, then back to the floor.
In a standing position, place your hands on your knees and make circles with your body in both directions. For hip-joint mobility, add lateral leg swings. With your hands on the wall, swing each leg side to side, moving from the hip. Then turn and swing each leg front to back while keeping your upper body upright.
Next, stand with your feet hip-width apart and rotate your hips similar to a Hula Hoop motion, first clockwise, then counterclockwise. Gently bend to the side by sliding one hand down your thigh, then return. Mobilize your shoulders by making large circles, forward then back.
To complete the dynamic warm-up with a more challenging move: Squat as low as possible while keeping your pelvis straight. At the bottom of the squat, lift your arms over your head, then stand up.
Marlene Royle is the author of Tip of the Blade: Notes on Rowing. She specializes in training for masters rowers. Her coaching service, Roylerow Performance Training Programs, provides the program and support you need to improve your competitive edge. For information, email Marlene at roylerow@aol.com or visit www.roylerow.com.
