To think 2k on the rowing machine a day can’t fail to see some improvement?

[TheViewFromTheCheapSeats]

DH has a fancy rowing machine, I’ve started using it. I need mindless, quick cardio I can fit round life.

I’m doing 2k a day, most days. About ten min as I’m not a gym buff. I’m a not massively fit mum of 5 in her 40s who’s never been to gym.

The forums are so so negative saying this is pointless. Surely getting my heart rate up (I don’t otherwise) is good??? I’ve got a decent technique I think, thanks to youtube.

I don’t want anything but mindless, not downloading anything. I want to pick up, use it and squeeze it in without thought around running round kids. Otherwise all I really do is walk, walk, walk. Pretty much zero cardio unless the bus appears ahead of me!

Has anyone tried similar and seen a result?
I notice I’m already finding it far far easier. I barely made 1k before

I don’t think 2k alone will do much but it’s better than nothing and you should soon find you can do further in the same time so keeping on pushing yourself is more likely to see results.

It absolutely will make a difference. Once you are finding your 2k easier try mixing it up and doing some interval training (e.g. 100m sprint followed by 200m rest, repeat).

The only way that you can know if this will give results is if you do it and see if it gives you results…

It's better than nothing obviously and i assume you're working on increasing your distance over time which will help

I think 10 mins a day is a bit too short to see much progress. Could you up it to 20-30 mins?

I'd mix your 2k workout up each time so you're getting more fitness benefit from it, eg break it up into intervals like 45 seconds on as fast as you can, 20 seconds to recover and repeat for 10 minutes, or 500m intervals with 1 minute in between x4. That kind of thing. You'll get fitter from 10 mins rowing a day provided you actually do have good technique and are not mindlessly bouncing up and down the slide without using your leg muscles at all but if you mix it up with intervals, you'll see a bigger difference much faster.

It's better than nothing. Which is where too many people go wrong with their attitude TBH.

The thing is what difference are you wanting to see OP? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to feel fitter? Do you want to not die everytime you walk up the stairs? Do you want to sleep better? Having a clear goal of what you are actually trying to achieve rather than some vague goal is better.

It's better than nothing but I don't think you'll see much, if any difference unless you plan to increase the time, distance or difficulty.

If 10 mins is what you have then 10 mins will have to do. Better to do 10 mins a day than try to fit in 30 mins which you don’t have time for and end up doing nothing.

And if you previously barely managed 1k in 10 mins and now you’re comfortably doing 2K then clearly it’s having an effect?

It can't be totally pointless. I used to talk ten minutes each way to the station in the mornings, and when I stopped working an office and switched to WFH I did notice a difference in my fitness and slight difference in how much I could eat and maintain my weight.

Any exercise is valuable. There are even proven health benefits from someone going from zero activity to 15 minutes per week. So no, it's not pointless. Keep going!

Small steps.
Add 5 mins every 2 weeks.

I do up to 4 hrs on the elliptical with a weighted vest but I'm training for a Mont Blanc summit.
After Xmas (2 weeks off) though I just started at 20 mins again.

Consistency is the key.

If something is Worth doing, it’s worth doing badly.

In other words, it might not be the absolute most amazing thing that you could possibly ever do, but you’re doing something. And there will be a benefit from that. It won’t be as much benefit as if you start a training for a marathon - of course - but seriously, the vast majority people are never going to do that.

Enjoy! If it works for you, it works. Just remember to increase resistance and time when possible - do t let it get too easy.

It is worth doing but I'd also be adding in strength and core exercises to create a more holistic programme.

You also need to be increasing time/difficulty as you get fitter too.

It's going to be doing you some good, but it would be better to build up to a longer session of at least 20 minutes, and a couple of times a week do a session where you vary the pace, e.g. 3 mins slow warm up, then alternate 1 minute fast pace with 2 minutes medium pace for about 10 mins, then slow 5 minute warm down.

If you don't want to have to think about it too much just count while you're doing the fast sections. Start with whatever you can manage - count to 20 or 30 maybe, then build up to 100. The important thing is to vary the pace and do some sections where you're working really hard.

I agree that intervals are your friend here! Try and push it up a bit more, 5k is easily achievable in 30 mins and that really is no time at all. Is it a concept 2?! They have great workouts of the day online, the quickest ones would be about right for you! But whatever, just keep going, doing whatever you enjoy and will keep up, because that is better than nothing. You're doing great!

I understand rowing is a very good aerobic exercise, so well done for doing it, and for increasing your distance. Although I hate the term I would say you do you, and don’t worry about others.

@TheViewFromTheCheapSeats

DH has a fancy rowing machine, I’ve started using it. I need mindless, quick cardio I can fit round life.

I’m doing 2k a day, most days. About ten min as I’m not a gym buff. I’m a not massively fit mum of 5 in her 40s who’s never been to gym.

The forums are so so negative saying this is pointless. Surely getting my heart rate up (I don’t otherwise) is good??? I’ve got a decent technique I think, thanks to youtube.

I don’t want anything but mindless, not downloading anything. I want to pick up, use it and squeeze it in without thought around running round kids. Otherwise all I really do is walk, walk, walk. Pretty much zero cardio unless the bus appears ahead of me!

Has anyone tried similar and seen a result?
I notice I’m already finding it far far easier. I barely made 1k before

Keep at it! This is exactly how I started. I committed myself to 15 min per day and before long could row 30 min daily and 45-1hr (10,000m) on the weekends. May I suggest audiobooks while you row?

My goal starting was to feel better and get some exercise in my life. I ended up losing almost 80 lbs. I started eating better somewhere along the way too.

If it’s a concept2- check out their challenges most are totally doable and you can log and track your progress. (I wear my 1M meter t-shirt they sent me with total pride).

Tell all they naysayers to get bent. Do it for yourself and have fun with it!

Depends what you count as a result? Improvement in your ability to row for 10 mins? You've already seen that it is giving you that result.

If it's what you like doing and it's all you can do for now, keep doing it.

What result do you want? If fitness, it's better than nothing but if you want a big improvement you're going to have to make a big effort. If you want weight loss it's not going to do anything. If you want toning you need to lift weights.
Or improvement in your mental health?

If ten mins a day actually made a difference everyone would be doing it. Unfortunately lots of people do much much more than that and aren't Olympians/super models. But they will be marginally fitter

I would think it would do something, on the basis I think it's moderately intense. In context, as I used to row competitively, 2k under 8 minutes is a not bad time (for someone who took up rowing in my 30s and is under 5'2", not some 20 yr old 6foot plus woman, I wasn't really built to be a rower!) - and by that I mean absolutely flat out sprinting almost passing out at the end from exertion at my absolute fittest, so I imagine you are working relatively hard. From memories of timed 2k tests I just read you're doing one every day voluntarily and thought 'are you a masochist?!'

It's decent if you row properly. So many people just row into a sitting upright position rather than lean back on the pull.

Yes it's far better than not doing it.
This idea that it needs to be 20 mins minimum or it's not worth bothering is what turns many people off from exercising. Anything that gets you sweaty and raises your heart rate is worth doing

It's ten minutes of being active and not sat on the couch eating chocolate.
I'm not saying that's what you'd be doing but something isn't nothing and in time it'll be a longer distance or 5 more minutes.

It's a start. And a brilliant one, well done.

It's great. Well done. You'll increase it as you feel up to it, and have the time to spare. Rowing is a good all round work out. Make sure you use your legs and engage your core. Swing from the hips and keep your back straight. If your DH bought the rowing machine, he hopefully knows how to use it properly!