Rowers quit the water to power ahead with machines

A stretch of water on which to row a boat is not always necessary. Those who do not want to get wet can still enjoy the activity with the help of a machine.

Water resistance rowing machines are relative newcomers to China, although they have been popular globally for many years.

Cao Chen, the co-founder of Glow Rowing, which launched in June in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, said: “These machines are safer and kinder to users’ joints and cause less damage to the knees (than running or cycling). Users can exercise 84 percent of the muscles in the body, especially in the buttocks, waist, abdomen and back, and they are ideal for cardiac stimulation.”

A typical class at Glow Rowing lasts for about an hour and can accommodate 20 people who are instructed by a coach as inspiring music plays in the background.

Glow is equipped with high-technology to monitor members’ performance and help them to improve their athletic ability.

Cao said the system Glow uses enables members to monitor their performances in real time while interacting with each other.

“Once people connect their rowing machines with Bluetooth accessories, the statistics will be shown on screen,” he said. “Just like the car racing games we used to play, everyone will be competing with each other as if they are actually rowing on a race track.”

Cao said he plans to record lakeside scenery and show it on screen to provide members with a more authentic rowing experience. “When you are rowing, the boat on the screen will move forward as well. It will be more immersive,” he said.

He and his team have developed software that can project several rowing machines on screen and combine them as a single boat. Rowers on the same “boat” need to keep a consistent pace. “If one person rows too fast, the ‘boat’ will overturn,” Cao said.

He believes this is also a way to make the rowing course more interesting.

“After each class, people are given their own report, which shows how long they have rowed, how many calories they have burned, and also their average heart rate,” Cao said.

The report is not only a summary of their performance, but also serves as a reference point for instructors to draw up advanced training plans.

“For example, the time it takes you to row 1,000 meters, or the distance you can row in a minute are some of the statistics we use to suggest the next steps clients can take,” Cao added.

In addition to rowing sessions, Glow provides a self-developed balance class, which aims to improve shape and stability by focusing on the whole body, particularly the feet, ankles and hips.

The emergence of group fitness courses such as rowing is no isolated trend — barre is also on the rise.

In June, Supermonkey launched its Super Barre course at almost the same time as Les Mills, one of the leading fitness systems, unveiled its barre curriculum in China.

Typically, the class focuses on small pulsing movements with emphasis on form, alignment and core engagement. Participants hold their bodies still while contracting specific, targeted sets of muscles during isometric exercises.

Liu Ya, a public relations agency manager in Beijing, said barre training can greatly improve her core strength and train small muscle groups, even though it seems as if she is not having an intense workout.

The emergence of group fitness courses such as rowing is no isolated trend.