In this post I’m going to talk a little bit about how to protect yourself while working out on the rowing erg.

There are a few things you should keep in mind before you start a safe workout. First of all and the most basic one is to prevent twisting and turning the rowing handle on either sides. Always keep it in a straight line. Ignoring this means you are inviting some serious injuries. Always you both your hands while working out on the rowing machine. If your hands get sweaty, never try to use on of your hands wipe it down on your shorts while working out. Same holds for wiping the sweat that drips down your face. If you feel the dire need to do so, then either pause your workout or just take a break.

A couple of other things to keep in mind – First of all make sure that the rowing machine is placed on a piece of carpet. It’s a good idea to stack some weight places on the front end of the machine, near the legs. This would prevent the machine to jump when the machine cord is pulled hard. However with proper technique, the machine should not move on the ground, but you never know when you enter the berserker mode.

The two main strokes in rowing, forward and backward can potentially lead to knee injuries if proper postures are not practiced. The forward stroke has the possibility of twisting your kneed whereas the backward stroke can lead to a repetitive joint motion, kind of like the tennis elbow. In the backward stroke, the ligaments in your knees take the twist when the toes are pointed outwards. Make sure to place your toes in the same direction as your shin bone and line up your toes with the knees when bent. Try not to straighten your knees anytime during the stroke cycle.

If you feel the strain, ice the knees and heat after icing. Massage the knees and work the knots out and any tender spots until there is not stiffness. Do not forget to stretch your calves, quads, hams and ankles. If you have a past knee injury, do not be afraid to wear knee brace while rowing. Before rowing, heat your knees and after rowing, ice your knees for maximum treatments.

Keep these points in mind to have a safe and effective workout.