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Buying a home cardiovascular exercise machine is a big investment. The decision regarding which one to buy should be taken very seriously and consider all options. This Choozza helps you buy the exercise machine that's best suited for your needs.
What's the perfect choice for you?
Last updated by Nimo, on 21/7/09
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Rowing Machine A rowing machine is a fitness exercise equipment that works large muscle groups. The rowing machine helps its user imitate the rowing activity. Using it regularly, you may increase your fitness level (via cardiovascular workout) and lose weight by way of fat burning. |
Treadmill A treadmill is a fitness exercise machine that works the lower body. The treadmill provides its user with a controlled method of performing the running or walking activity. Using it regularly, the user may increase their fitness level (via cardiovascular workout) and lose weight by way of fat burning. |
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Safety: With every workout, there's risk. Falling, injuries, pains and strains are a part of training life. How safe is the exercise machine? How big is the risk of something going wrong? |
A rowing machine workout is performed sitting, which makes falling off very unlikely. |
Treadmills are only relatively safe. The exercise is usually performed at relatively high speeds - running or jogging, with little space for mistake. Falling from a treadmill could be quite serious, as the running surface (the belt) usually continues to move. Almost all treadmills sold today have some sort of a safety device. Some are equipped with safety switches which kill the motor when you press them, others have a sort of a safety key that stops the treadmill automatically when you fall. Most treadmills are equipped with handlebars that you can use to stabilise yourself if you need. No safety measure can guard you against a situation where you have a power outage while you are on the machine. The motor will stop immediately while you keep on running. This is an extremely dangerous (if rare) situation. |
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Minimal Space and Power Needs: When you but an exercise machine for your home, you need to put it somewhere and sometimes plug it in as well. Every type of exercise machine has different needs in terms of space and electricity usage. |
A rowing machine is considered a very good option for those who want to workout, but only have a limited space. The rowers usually occupy a very small space, and many models are foldable - to be stored away under the bed when not in use. Most rowing machines do not need to be plugged in at all, as all resistance is magnetic. Some machines have a workout monitor that usually runs on batteries (some will use a small amount of power instead of batteries or just in order to recharge them). |
Home treadmills come in two main variations - powered and non-powered. The non-powered version does not require electricity to function and is therefore economical to operate. In terms of space, treadmills usually require more space than other exercise equipment. Even the foldable ones are limited in this aspect, as the running surface must be wide and long enough to accommodate large gaits, and can not be folded in half. |
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Workout Effectiveness: What type of exercise do you get from this exercise machine? What can you expect in terms of the exercises effectiveness? |
An exercise on a rowing machine involves muscle groups in the arms, back and legs. The rowing exercise uses both the upper and lower body for aerobic cardiovascular work with no impact on the joints. Using a rowing machine correctly and regularly, and with adequate exercise level, you can expect it to work your back muscles but also stretch them, helping ease pain and discomfort. Note however, that using it incorrectly may lead to back discomfort and possible injury, so you need to seek advice regarding the correct way to perform the rowing machine exercise. Rowing machines are considered to have an excellent workout value, as the exercise they provide works on large muscle groups and does not let you slack (use momentum) while working them. Good results are achieved quite quickly in terms of increased fitness levels, weight loss and fat burning. Results will initially show toned thighs, buttocks and firmer arms. Note that rowing machines do not provide a good level of exercise variety - you can only change the resistance you work against, but not, for example, the chair sliding length, or the angle of the string you pull. |
The treadmill is the best fitness machine if your preferred exercise is running, jogging or walking. While treadmills provide excellent cardiovascular workout, they only work your lower body. Treadmills do not work your back muscles or any large muscle group other than your legs. However, they are still effective as a fat burning and fitness equipment. The downside of the workout on treadmills is that this is a high-impact exercise, as your joints, knees, shins, ankles and back absorb shocks every time you put your foot down. The surface you run on while you exercise on a treadmill is usually cushioned and equipped with shock absorbers. This way it provides less impact than concrete, but still - your body will experience an impact up to 2.5 times your body weight every time your foot lands on the treadmill's belt. There is an injury risk inherent to such high-impact workouts. The exercise variety that a treadmill provides is focused around changing the incline and speed of the belt. These do not provide a lot of options, but are usually enough. |
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Price: How much will it cost you to get a good fitness machine? |
Rowing machines come very cheap. Sometimes at about a tenth of the price of other exercise equipment. |
Treadmills are not cheap, and good ones can be very expensive. |
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Fat Burning Efficiency: While every exercise burns fat, some forms of exercises allow more fat burning to occur. This usually has to do with length, intensity and the total number of muscles participating. Research shows that when more large muscle groups are exercised - more fat burning happens even after you finish the workout on the exercise machine. |
Using the rowing machine for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, at a good pace with good resistance level burns anywhere between 350-600 calories. The rowing machine is very effective at burning fat as it uses the larger muscles of both upper and lower body. Additionally, a rowing machine does not let you easily gain bodyweight momentum, so the workout is very effective. |
The treadmill does not use many big muscle groups compared to other fitness equipment and therefore is less effective at overall fat burning. It is also worth noting that because treadmill is a high-impact workout, you are usually able to exercise for shorter durations (compared to other fitness equipment) at whichever level of fitness you are at. This means that you will not have the opportunity to burn as much fat as with other machines. Having said that, the treadmill lets you easily perform short sprints, which contribute to burning fat in the post-workout recovery time. |
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Maintenance Considerations: Every fitness machine needs maintenance. The more moving parts your machine has - the more time and money you'll need to spend over the years on maintaining it. |
Rowing machines have no motor, and are not composed of many small moving parts. This makes for easier regular maintenance. On the other hand, most rowing machines have a cable which may break, and a seat that moves back and forth. These two parts require maintenance and checks to be performed on a regular basis. Another moving part of the rower is the wheel, which usually works on magnetic resistance. The wheel compartment requires infrequent oiling, but other than that maintenance is quite a breeze. |
Treadmills are composed of many moving parts (think belts, motors, rollers and bearings) which are under lot of impact. All these moving parts may burn out, and are constantly in danger of wear and tear through use. Compared to other exercise equipment, treadmills are high-maintenance, especially the models that have motors. |
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Risk Free: What are the specific health benefits or risks involved with using the exercise machine? How can this machine contribute to your health specifically? This category is mainly around impact. Impact is the price the exercise machine takes from your joints. Running is high-impact, as your feet land on the hard ground many times. Swimming is non-impact. The more impact the machine has, the more risk you face of pain and damage to your bones, joints and other parts of your body. |
While providing excellent workout, a rowing machine requires proper technique to prevent injuries. The technique is important in order to avoid back strain. The rowing machine works on your back muscles and at the same time stretches them. This has the benefit of helping ease pain and discomfort. When applying good technique, there is a very low injury risk as there is less pressure to knees and ankles. This allows you to exercise for longer durations, which lets you raise fitness levels and burn fat more quickly. |
Walking or running, every time your foot lands on the surface your body is jolted. This is true for concrete, pavements, grass, and the treadmills' mat. This impact affects the joints in your lower body (especially the knees) and the lower back. This has a direct correlation to the length and frequency of workouts, especially in the beginning, as your body will not be able to walk/run for long periods of times, and will need longer rests between workouts. On the up side, walking is a simple form of exercise that does not require coordination, and hence a treadmill is a good choice if you have no experience at all, and need to start exercising immediately. |