Treadmill Or Rower? Which One Is Best For You?

By Author: David Scott
Total Articles: 192
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Everyone who goes to a gym on a regular basis has seen a treadmill and a rower in use. But which one is the best to use regularly? This becomes even more important if you are looking to purchase one for home use. You will need to consider more than just the cost: you also have to consider the space you have available for it, maintenance, injury risk, and more importantly, just how effective the exercise offered by this machine will be. We will examine both of these popular machines to help you decide which one is the best for you.

A treadmill is a very popular machine in gyms all across the country and all across the world. It is the perfect machine for exercising without thinking, just walk or run on the belt, that is it. You control the belt's speed, and you can put it in front of the TV or read while using it. The buttons on the control panel let you set the speed and incline while using any number of preprogrammed routines to emulate hills and sprints. There are even newer models available today that can be hooked up to popular game systems so that you can run in computer generated scenes.

The biggest difference ...
... between running on this machine and running out on the road or other terrain is in the impact and surface. The always smooth belt of this machine will not trip you up due to uneven pavement, and there are shock absorbers underneath the belt to help absorb the impact on your joints. For training purposes, or even for just general fitness, it is an excellent cardiovascular choice.

While this machine works the lower body, a rower machine works both the lower and the upper body at the same time. With a seat, a pulley wheel for the cable that pulls the seat forward as you move the handlebars, it is a very sophisticated machine that gives you the effect of rowing a boat by pushing with your legs and pulling with your arms. Your heart and lungs, as well as the large muscles in the upper and lower body, all get a good cardiovascular workout using the rowing machine on a regular basis. And, because it does not require electricity, unlike the treadmill, a rower is a self-powered machine that lies flat and can be used anywhere you have the room to place it.

Every workout has the potential for injuries, and the rower and treadmill are no different. The impact on your joints, even with the shock absorbers can be harmful to your joints if you try to do more than you can handle on it. You also run a risk of falling if you set the machine at a faster speed than you can keep up with. On a rowing machine, you cannot fall or be thrown, but you can risk an injury to your back if you do not use the proper posture at all times.

Beside the cost of a home exercise machine, the most important consideration becomes the purpose of having one. If you are only interested in one that will help you train for a marathon, then one you can run on would be best. If you want to work both your upper and lower body, then a rowing machine would be better. For versatility, a rowing machine is the better bet because it does not run on electricity. For sprints and wind training, nothing beats a running machine. The choice is up to you.

For the best models available in both, treadmill and rower machines, look no further than Summit Fitness Equipment. Here you will find the help you need to decide what is the best one for your exercise needs.