Row your boat ... indoors
Rowing machines have been a fitness club staple for many years. It's a great exercise for legs, upper body, and core strength. In addition, when used properly, rowing machines offer cardio benefits as well. Indo-Row takes rowing machines to a new level. It's an intense, instructor-led group class using rowing machines. The objective is not on speed, but on strength and synchronicity with the rest of the class. The group works together, just like a crew rowing a boat on water would work together. The classes are usually 50 minutes long. And the workout is intense -- a 145-pound woman can burn 400-600 calories.
Check to see if your gym is going to start this class anytime soon. If not, call around and see if any other gyms in the area offer the class and will let you in on a day pass. Would you rather take your rowing outdoors? Chris fills us in on the Row to Beijing Challenge.
The gym may have flat screen TVs for you to watch while you burn some calories on the rowing machine, but how cool would it be to actually get out in the water and start paddling?
Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! 
Well, folks, summer's coming and there's nothing I like more to do when it's hot out than spend a good chunk of time in the water, whether I'm swimming through it or floating over it. What are your favourite water activities? Me, I love canoeing, rafting, tubing and wake boarding. Spending time in a boat is a great way to enjoy the sun and get some activity, so if, like me, you're growing tired of the treadmill, I suggest you head to the nearest lake or ocean for some fun on the water. It's not the first activity that people think of for fitness, but it's fun and it can be a great workout if you want it to be.









