Concept2 Forum

Question: What is the best way to equate a rowing stroke to a step in terms of (an admittedly ambiguous term,) "exercise value" ?


Background: As I understand it, the subject phrase is Japanese for "10,000 step meter". It was in Japan that the notion of 10,000 steps per day (approx. 5 miles,) measured by wearing a pedometer, as a minimum level of daily movement suggested for good health, was first popularized.

As a "desk jockey" at work, I have become "OCD" about getting at least my 10K steps per day, in addition to whatever exercise I decide to do.

After going through several pedometers, I now use this one http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HJ-112-Digi ... B0000U1OCI and I am very happy with it. Among other reasons, I like this one as it can be carried in the pocket and need not be clipped to the belt.

However, the pedometer will not register other motions, (eg; a rowing stroke,) as a step.

So, I'm trying to decide how to "convert" my meters rowed to "steps taken" for my daily "score". I am not seeking precision, just a reasonably accurate approximation. For example, if I only had time to walk 5K meters and then did some rowing, how much would give me a basic equivalent.

( With respect to measuring watts, mets, calories, etc., my strengths lie elsewhere That is why the simplicity of steps is so attractive to me. ) I look forward to hearing what the more knowledgable and analytically inclined think.

TIA

Eddie

There are a number of ways of comparing the two, and you will get different results depending on the method and also on your body type. It is difficult becuase just walking is low intensity and erging is usually much more intense.
There was a tread a while ago that compared running to rowing and the general sense is that a meter running is about the same as a meter rowing. It varies from person to person but as a rough estimate, you can consider rowing 8K to be 5 miles on foot.

Nosmo wrote:There are a number of ways of comparing the two ...

... in much the same was as you can compare apples with oranges.

The only reliable way to compare walking to erging would be to use a well calibrated HR monitor (Suunto with STraM software) which can give a repeatable reading of energy usage (or training effect in Suunto terms) regardless of what exercise regime you are doing for any particular session.

For an extremely rough estimate use the age adjusted calorie count on the pedometer vs the (often discussed on here) calorie count on the PM2/PM3/PM4 on the rower. That's probably close enough to satisfy the 10,000 steps versus 5K row comparison.

I would consider 5 miles covered by foot to be 5,000 to 10,000 steps, and 5 miles covered rowing to be 0 steps.

It is not possible to compare the benefits of walking or running with rowing, as you are not supporting your body weight in the latter.

I was interested to use a pedometer a year or two ago and tested a few of the higher rated models, but all of them turned out to be greatly inaccurate.

John Rupp wrote:I would consider 5 miles covered by foot to be 5,000 to 10,000 steps, and 5 miles covered rowing to be 0 steps.

It is not possible to compare the benefits of walking or running with rowing, as you are not supporting your body weight in the latter.

I don't know the logic of the 10k steps approach. But energy used may not be it. It could well be encouraging time taken exercising. Provided you are doing a reasonable speed (i.e. elevating heart rate above walking levels), I would have thought that you could just take the time exercising. Andante is supposed to be walking pace and is around 120 bpm. So 1000 steps would take 8:20.

John, I think discounting time rowed because you aren't supporting your bodyweight is a strange approach. I think most people would support that for most people, replacing a part of regular walks with an equivalent time on the erg would not be detrimental. Also, doing 5 miles in 5,000 steps would be a hard task walking, steps would have to average 1.6m.

Regards

Iain

This is interesting. My wife just got a pedometer and she's done up to 20,000 steps in a day. My kids are using it too. I'm waiting my turn, just to see how many steps I take and recognizing that the number of steps isn't going to produce a very precise indication of the amount of exercise accomplished in terms of watts, calories, or whatever.

But that's not the point. We're not taking about how many meters rowing is equivilent to how many meters running. I don't think Eddie cares about that either.

Keeping it really simple, I suggest that as a step is a cycle of muscle contraction and release, impact and rebound, and as rowing does that for both legs on each stroke (albeit, not much impact); I would count one stroke as two steps.

So what Eddie needs to do is row her piece, look at the average strokes per minute for the piece, multiply by the length of the piece in minutes, and multiply by two.

Citroen wrote:

Nosmo wrote:There are a number of ways of comparing the two ...

... in much the same was as you can compare apples with oranges.

Actually it is more like apples and asparagus.