Rock This Boat!

Enjoy the outdoors and stay fit with rowing, waterskiing or windsurfing

If You Can’t Get to the Lake

Do what Robert Schmidt of Macungie does. A rowing machine at your home or fitness club can give you similar benefits. Some machines include fans that create resistance, and most include a sliding seat for an upper- and lower-body workout.

Want A day of fun that doubles as part of your exercise routine?

Head for the nearest lake or river. Rowing, waterskiing and windsurfing offer fitness benefits in the perfect setting. “Rowing works many muscle groups, and outdoor exercise is mentally stimulating and rewarding as well,” says family physician Joseph Blasiol, D.O., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

Rowing or paddling

Besides the traditional rowboat, in which you pull a pair of oars from back to front, you can choose a canoe (paddled on one side) or kayak (propelled with a double paddle). Depending on the water’s current, you often can control the fitness benefit you get.

“When you row, you pull against the water, creating resistance,” says exercise physiologist Cathy Odom of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “The harder you pull, the more calories you burn.” Thirty minutes of steady rowing or paddling at a moderate pace can burn more than 200 calories.

Competitive rowing in a racing boat (called a scull) can work both your upper- and lower-body muscles. That’s because a scull includes sliding seats that you move by pushing your legs back and forth.

Waterskiing

If you snow ski, you might find waterskiing easy, but there are differences. “You use your upper-body muscles more in waterskiing because you need strength to hold onto the ski rope,” Odom says. “The lower body gets a workout too, since your knees are in a semi-squat position and your legs absorb the shock of the waves created by your boat.”

Waterskiing requires balance, both to stay up and to negotiate those waves. “There’s a feeling of power in the ability to waterski. It’s a great challenge,” Odom says.

Windsurfing

In this sport, you maneuver a large, triangle-shaped sail attached to a surfboard. You get an upper-body workout against the wind’s resistance. You also work your leg and thigh muscles, squatting when the wind strengthens and standing straight when the wind eases off.

Before you hop on board

• Take lessons — They’ll help you learn the basics, like the proper way to place oars in the water. You’ll also learn water safety tips. The lesson price often includes equipment.
• Be safe in the water — Swimming ability is a prerequisite for any kind of water sport. So is wearing a life jacket (even if you’re a strong swimmer).
• Stretch — Stretching is especially important before rowing because rowing involves so many muscle groups. If you have a history of back problems, check with your doctor before rowing.

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