answered by Terry O'Neill
I have recently injured my shoulder swimming front crawl. Will using the Indoor Rower aggravate
my injury?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell whether using the Indoor Rower will aggravate your injury without
knowing exactly what it is. If you are being treated you should seek advice from your physiotherapist but
you should note that the rowing action is very different from the arm action when swimming front crawl. If
you are given the all clear to train from your physiotherapist then you should proceed cautiously, starting
with 15 minutes of gentle rowing, stopping immediately if you feel any twinges. If you manage 15 minutes
without any problems then you should add five minutes per day until you are up to one hour. You may then
begin to increase the intensity of the sessions.
I have trapped a nerve in my back and have had to stop rowing. How and when should I start
training again?
When you injure your back in this way the muscles surrounding the area go into a spasm and immobilise
the area. This spasm often continues after the problem has been cured and becomes a problem in itself. If
you have been seeing a doctor or physiotherapist then you should seek their advice about when to begin
training again. When you are able to start again you should follow a recovery programme. This will involve
starting with ten minutes a day and building up slowly as long as there is no associated pain.
What sort of exercise regime do you recommend for a 39 year old indoor rower who is not
overweight and, for a variety of reasons can only usually exercise once a week? My main aim is to
avoid physical atrophy.
A one day a week training programme has many limitations. One of the laws that applies to training is
reversibility. This means that any improvement that you acquire as a result of training leaves you when you
stop training. Therefore, on day one you train, on day two you recover and then on day three you have
adapted to training and are ready to train again. If you don't then train you begin to lose the training benefit
over the next four days until you train again, meaning that the overall benefit is small. If at all possible you
need to come up with two more sessions a week. Even if they only add up to a further hour of training the
effect will be much greater.
I am recuperating after heart surgery and my physiotherapist has recommended the use of the
Concept 2 Indoor Rower as it will give the best workout with the least stress. What sort of training
would you suggest?
When recovering from an operation it is very important to heed the advice of your physiotherapist and
doctor who should be able to recommend a training regime that is designed to suit your individual needs,
and will cater for your physical limitations. The main recommendation is that you do not over do it. It is a
long process returning to fitness after an operation and it should not be rushed.
With the agreement and supervision of your medical team we would suggest a low intensity programme
as laid out in Weight Management in Section 8 : Nutrition and Weight Management.
