Back to the fold....

[swag72]

20 odd years ago I was the UK HM Prison Service rowing champion. I loved indoor rowing and had my own C2 rower, racking up distance rows on a regular basis.

Fast forward 20 odd years and now I'm a cyclist but found a C2D rower for a silly price here in Spain so had to buy it.

It's quite fun being back in the fold, although I'm still cycling 250km a week so just doing 500m to 30min rows after my bike ride.

Looking on the forum it looks great and I may well start the Pete Plan for some interest

I'm now in my 50's not sure where the time has gone... and over the last 4 years have lost 40kgs thanks to cycling. I feel fairly fit these days compared to 20 years ago

[Ombrax]

Welcome back!

I may well be stating the obvious here, but in general I think cycling is the better way to go if you want to do cardio for hours and hours, burn lots of calories and have some fun doing it. But if you want to be more efficient time-wise and get more done (i.e. a better overall workout) in a much shorter amount of time, then it's hard to beat the indoor rower. These days I don't have as much time as I used to, so I do a lot more erging than cycling.

[swag72]

One of the factors to row was that cycling is so bad for joint and bone health when compared to rowing. As a female in my 50's I really need to give my bones the best possible strength before I 'get old' I know there are better exercises out there than rowing but it's better than nothing (which I've previously done).

[Dangerscouse]

One of the factors to row was that cycling is so bad for joint and bone health when compared to rowing.

I didn't know that. That is interesting as bone health is very important for all of us as we age, but, as you allude to, especially women.

[swag72]

I spent much time with Google and all the studies suggest that rowing is good for joint and bone health

[jackarabit]

So cycling and rowing are both non weight-bearing activities, one of which is presented as promoting bone health (which can’t mean much beyond bone density and maintained blood supply in the marrow) and the other presented as not improving bone health. This is supported by the unsupported observation that cyclists typically do not cross train for strength and rowers do. But bi- and tri- competitors are saved from the worst consequences of long haul road cycling by essentially being cross trainers. I will accept the possibility that ostopenia might attack the bones of arms and shoulder girdle of competitive cyclists. I question the same conclusion applied to the bones of the pelvis and legs of competitive cyclists. Does anyone really think that hill climbing on a bike is NOT weight bearing? If so, you’ve been spinning thru way too much clickbait when you could have been out there grinding out hill repeats.