It doesn’t take a genius to realise that the posture adopted whilst rowing isn’t the most suitable one to be in for long periods. Anyone who tries to sit hunched on a seat with their knees repeatedly being pulled up to their chest will inevitably become extremely tight over the front of their hips and shoulders, whilst placing a great amount of stress into the lower back, pelvis, knees and neck.
With a posture requirement not too dissimilar to cyclers, rowers tend to rely on a lot on their hip flexors, back muscles, thigh muscles and upper body to generate power. Pilates is the perfect compliment as it helps to balance out the entire body supporting the trunk in a more efficient posture, stabilising the spine using the CORE thereby allowing the joints to move more effectively around it AND release any overused muscle groups. It’s not uncommon to find rowers suffering from chronic, repetitive injuries as a result of the sport. Pilates can help to significantly reduce their incidence.
