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ROWING MACHINE INJURIES AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM
It’s well-established that rowing delivers one of the most effective full-body workouts. Rowing engages nine muscle groups, activating an impressive 86% of the body’s total musculature. Rowing is also low-impact: it’s easy on the joints, stabilizing for your body, and can be dialed up as desired to achieve a high-intensity calorie-burning workout, or dialed down for one of the best cardio workouts. In fact, rowing is so good for the body that it’s often the workout of choice when nursing an injury. But like any with any physical activity, it’s still possible to get injured on a rowing machine. Below we’ll explore how rowing injuries occur, how to prevent them from happening, and how to recover from a rowing injury.
How do rowing machine injuries occur?
Maybe you’ve already been there: your row, row, rowing your boat, when all of a sudden, things take a not-so-merry turn. Out of nowhere, your body lets you know that things aren’t quite right, and now you’re dealing with an injury. If rowing is your favorite workout, and one that you do almost every day, the repetitive motions associated with rowing can cause certain muscles to become overused. This can lead to imbalances in muscle development that need to be corrected over time.
Improper technique can also be a significant contributor to injury, especially for beginners who’ve just caught the rowing bug. Even veterans pushing their limits can suddenly find themselves dealing with an injury. But don’t worry—it’s impossible to love your rowing machine too much! We’re going to show you exactly how to prevent the three most common rowing injuries, so you can keep rowing merrily today, and for years to come.
Common Rowing Machine Injuries
Lower Back Injury
In general, indoor rowing machines are a great way to engage your back muscles. Rowing exercises help improve strength and flexibility, which in turn can help prevent back pain. That said, it’s certainly possible in this case to get too much of a good thing! Lower back injuries from rowing can occur when the muscles supporting the lumbar spine become strained. The lumbar spine muscles have very specific duties in the body, and they can become injured if they’re relied upon to prop up a tired core or to compensate for incorrect form.
Pushing your lower back too far while working out can lead to stiffness or back pain, sometimes described by sufferers as a burning, throbbing, or stabbing sensation. While back pain from rowing is usually the result of general muscle fatigue, in more severe cases, acute lumbar strain can injure facet joints, damage discs, or produce stress fractures. (Let’s not do that.) Thankfully, most lower back injuries from rowing can be prevented by taking the proper precautions and being mindful while you exercise. You can prevent lower back injuries by:
- Maintaining good rowing posture. Injury can occur when rowers round the lower back (also known as lumbar or lower back flexion), hunch their shoulders forward, or tilt the pelvis under during the catch. Ideally, your entire spine should be a straight line when you use your home rowing machine, so that your core carries the load and your body stays aligned as you move.
- Not leaning too far back during the finish. Leaning too far back causes your abdominal muscles to tire out prematurely. When this happens, the tendency is to engage, and thus strain, the lower back.
- Changing the intensity or duration of your workout. Research has found that lower back flexion increases as fatigue sets in. Our advice? If you find yourself consistently injuring your lower back, choose a workout from one of Aviron’s rowing workouts that’s better suited to how you’re feeling. Aviron offers workouts as short as five minutes, and as long as 45 minutes.
Bonus tip: Improve your technique. Learning proper rowing technique, posture, and alignment is your best defense against injury. Aviron offers coached programs by personal trainer and rowing coach, Training Tall. These programs provide the tools needed for a lifetime of injury-free rowing.
Knee injury
Most of the time, consistent rowing is a recipe for healthier knees. Rowing strengthens the muscles around the knee joint, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius, also known as the calf muscle. But as mentioned above, too much of a good thing can lead to soreness or even injury.
When a knee injury from using a rowing machine occurs, it usually manifests as patellofemoral pain or iliotibial (IT) band friction. Patellofemoral pain feels like pain behind your kneecap. You might notice it as a knee click when you’re rowing.
IT band friction occurs from repeated bending of the knees. The normal movement of the IT band during flexion and extension can irritate nearby tissues, causing pain on the outside of the knee. All in all, not very fun. Thankfully, you can help prevent knee injuries by:
- Keeping your knees over your ankles during the catch. Over-compressing your legs (i.e. positioning your knees beyond the ankles, and your feet too close to your bum) can strain the muscles surrounding the knee and compress the knee cap.
- Avoiding locking out your knees. Hyperextending your knees during the drive or finish puts excessive pressure on the knees because the muscles that usually protect it aren’t engaged. This is a common cause of knee pain or injury.
- Adjusting your foot position. Driving through excessively spread knees can put too much pressure on the outside of the knees. If you find your knees opening as you row, try widening your foot placement.
Foot placement setting on Aviron rowers can be set wider than traditional rowing machines, making it easy to get comfortable and aligned for your rowing workout no matter what body type or preference you have.
Joint Injury From Rowing
Joints are composed of some of the body’s most sensitive parts: tendons and bursae. Repetitive motion of any joint can cause tendons and bursae to throw a fit, resulting in tendonitis or bursitis. For rowers, this type of unpleasant inflammation can manifest in the shoulder, hip, elbow, or wrist.
Shoulder impingement can occur when rotator cuff tendons rub the shoulder blade and become irritated. Rower’s hip can ignite when the (typically relaxed) hip flexor muscles become angry after being repeatedly roused into activity. Tennis elbow can develop due to repeatedly pulling the rowing machine handle. And extensor tenosynovitis, or inflammation of a tendon’s protective armor, in the wrist can result from gripping the handle. You can prevent inflammation and tendonitis by:
- Take a break. If you’re finding your joints are irritated or sore, it’s time to take a break. Rest is the best medicine, and ice can help reduce inflammation and discomfort while you chill out.
- Cross-training with strength and mobility exercises. Strength exercises can help you build muscle power to protect joints, and stretching the spine, hip flexors, and shoulders can help with mobility by reducing strain and muscle tension. Aviron offers numerous classes and full-body workouts for strength and stretching, including how to use your Aviron rower for non-rowing exercises.
- Easing in and out of your workout. It’s important to take your time when working out; don’t try to go from 0 to 100 right away. Warming up and cooling down is key to protecting your joints from sudden stress. We recommend taking a leisurely visit to Italy or Thailand on one of Aviron’s scenic rowing trips to get your joints in the rowing mood.
Final thoughts for preventing rowing injuries
Ideally, rowing should be done painlessly, whether you’re on the water or using a home rowing machine. You should aim to enjoy your low-impact exercise routine; don’t try to give 100% of your effort 100% of the time.
With the help of Aviron’s workouts for proper form, a wide range of intensities to choose from, cross-training that takes you on and off the machine, and ergonomic design, you can make the most out of your Aviron workout. In other words: less pain, more gain.
FAQs
What are the most common rowing machine injuries, and how do they occur?
The most common rowing machine injuries include lower back injuries, knee injuries and joint injuries. Lower back injuries often result from incorrect form, such as rounding the lower back or hunching shoulders, which puts undue strain on the lumbar spine muscles. Knee injuries can occur due to over-compressing the legs, locking out the knees, or improper foot position, leading to patellofemoral pain or iliotibial (IT) band friction. Joint injuries, involving the shoulder, hip, elbow, or wrist, are typically the result of repetitive motion leading to inflammation such as tendonitis or bursitis.
How can I prevent lower back injuries while using a rowing machine?
To prevent lower back injuries, maintain good rowing posture by keeping your entire spine straight, avoid leaning too far back during the finish to prevent straining your lower back, and change the intensity or duration of your workout to reduce the risk of lower back flexion due to fatigue. Learning proper rowing technique and posture through coached programs can also significantly reduce the risk of injury.
What steps can I take to avoid knee and joint injuries during rowing workouts?
To avoid knee injuries, ensure your knees are over your ankles during the catch phase to avoid over-compressing your legs, avoid locking out your knees during the drive or finish, and adjust your foot position to prevent putting excessive pressure on the outside of your knees. For joint injuries, incorporate rest and ice to reduce inflammation, engage in cross-training with strength and mobility exercises to build muscle power and improve flexibility, and ensure a proper warm-up and cool-down routine to protect your joints from sudden stress.
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