Legs go numb

[dazzlindino]

Have been using a rower off and on, along with running and stationary biking. Seems that after about 15 min on the rower my legs start to go numb. Have to get off and walk around slowly till the blood circulates through my legs again. This really ends up cutting my workout down to almost nill on row days.
Anyone else ever experience this?
Help before I fall down and can't get up.

[RowtheRockies]

dazzlindino,

First off, welcome to the board! I am sorry, I have never experienced numbness of the legs while rowing at any distance. Hopefully somone else will come along that might have some help. The only thing that I can think of would be are you using the foot straps and if so, could they be too tight? I only use the straps for stroke rates above 24 but even then, I cinch them down as tight as they will go and have never had a problem as they seem to loosen after a little while. Sorry I could not be of much help.

Rich

[Citroen]

A few ideas:

1. Sit further forward on the seat.
2. Drop the drag and lighten your stroke.
3. Take the catch further back so you don't go over vertical at frontstops.

[MomofJBN]

Make sure your sitz bones are straight down and not tucked under you.

[chgoss]

Make sure your sitz bones are straight down and not tucked under you.

What does that mean? Serious question.. I have had similar problems with my backside..

[MomofJBN]

OK, I was afraid you'd ask that. Let me try to explain.

Sit as straight as possible. Your back should hang down from the top of your head. (You don't want to arch your back erging, but you may want to try during this exercise so that you can find the point where your back is straight.) Using your abs to support your back and keep it straight, lean back to simulate the erg stroke finish. You should feel your abs working and the sitz bones pressing into your seat. (The proper name is the Ischial Tuberosity. It's the bones you feel under you when you sit on something hard.)

From sitting tall, let your back slouch a little - try to move only at the hips. Now try your finish layback. When I do this, I can feel a sort of pinching happening at the very base of my spine. Also, my weight is now on some muscles rather than more directly on the sitz bones. Either the pinched tailbone or the compressed muscles could be the cause of the tingling legs.

HTH

Schenley

[dazzlindino]

Thanks for the replys, tried a few things.
Straps were not tight, but shoes were, now run a looser lace / knot.
Sit up straighter / less slouch / seating position.
These things really only helped me go a minute or two longer.
What has now worked for me is interval workouts, one min. moder.
one min. hard rowing. When I first tried this I felt just a slight amount of the numbness creeping in, but not enough to have to stop as before. Now very rarely do I feel it at all.
Now im off to lose another few pounds and be happy!!!!!

[Steelhead]

Thanks for the replys, tried a few things.
Straps were not tight, but shoes were, now run a looser lace / knot.
Sit up straighter / less slouch / seating position.
These things really only helped me go a minute or two longer.
What has now worked for me is interval workouts, one min. moder.
one min. hard rowing. When I first tried this I felt just a slight amount of the numbness creeping in, but not enough to have to stop as before. Now very rarely do I feel it at all.
Now im off to lose another few pounds and be happy!!!!!

I have this problem when I use my Model B at home; but on the Model C at the gym I don't have the numbness. I can row a full marathon on the C without one of my legs going to sleep, but at about 20 minutes on the B one of my legs goes numb. I have tried everything I can think of on the B to stop this, but over the years nothing works. I like the B because I can get a higher drag factor than on the C.

Anyway, what I do to continue rowing long distances on the B is when my leg goes to sleep I start pulling between my legs until the blood circulation returns and then I go back to pulling outside my legs (the proper form or traditional form); I have to do this several times during a long row, and it definitely works for me. I'll have to try the interval training that works for you -- that is interesting.

Still, I think with the B and the C there is a different angle and I suspect that the D or E would also prevent numbness.

Are you experiencing the numbness on a C or D?

[johnlvs2run]

I have this problem when I use my Model B at home; but on the Model C at the gym I don't have the numbness.

Are you using the old model B seat, or the newer model C variety?

If the old one, then that is mostly likely the cause.

[Steelhead]

I have this problem when I use my Model B at home; but on the Model C at the gym I don't have the numbness.

Are you using the old model B seat, or the newer model C variety?

If the old one, then that is mostly likely the cause.

The original model B seat. Interesting.

[dazzlindino]

Been having good results with the intervals keeping my legs from going numb.
I have the B model rower.

[Steelhead]

Been having good results with the intervals keeping my legs from going numb.
I have the B model rower.

If I only erg 30 minutes on the Model B then I don't have the numbness -- I can erg a full marathon on the Model C without any problems at all. Are your intervals equal to or less than 30 minutes total?

[dazzlindino]

Interval for 30 min. total. Before my numbness would kick in at about 10 min. mark,( sometimes less sometimes more ) and would make it grueling to finnish a workout.