{"id":957854,"date":"2026-05-13T21:14:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T21:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/957854\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T21:14:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T21:14:17","slug":"why-more-men-over-40-are-turning-to-rowing-to-stay-fit-for-longer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/957854\/","title":{"rendered":"Why More Men Over 40 Are Turning to Rowing to Stay Fit for Longer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you have hung up your running shoes, or are simply looking for a low-impact way to improve your cardio<\/a>, rowing delivers some serious bang for your buck when it comes to building endurance and power. That’s part of the reason it has become increasingly popular among people in their 40s, 50s and beyond.<\/p>\n

According to rowing coach Austin Hendrickson<\/a>, the real benefit of rowing<\/a> is its potential to support long-term health and mobility. In a recent YouTube video<\/a>, Hendrickson explains that ‘hardly anyone talks about how to train for the next 10, 20, 30 years so that your body still holds up and you\u2019re feeling good later in life.’<\/p>\n

Why Rowing for Longevity?<\/p>\n

For Hendrickson, the rowing machine is ‘one of the best tools we have for fitness longevity if we use it right’. He describes longevity training as balancing performance, recovery, joint health, and consistency over the years, adding that ‘the goal with longevity training isn\u2019t to survive workouts<\/a>. It\u2019s to accumulate years of training safely.’<\/p>\n

A major reason for that, he says, is rowing’s low-impact nature. ‘It’s one of the most low impact exercises that you can do. You\u2019re not going to get the pounding on your joints that you can experience from other forms of similar cardio like running.’ He notes that rowing works a significant amount of muscle mass, making it ‘such a bang for your buck’ exercise despite being easy on the joints.<\/p>\n

The coach says rowing can also help preserve lean muscle mass and metabolic health as we age. ‘One of the best predictors for longevity is an individual’s VO2 max<\/a>,’ he explains, adding that steady-state rowing and aerobic training are ‘like anti-ageing medicine.’<\/p>\n

But Hendrickson also warns against going all out in every session, ‘Most people who pick up rowing as an exercise do not stick with it long term,’ he says. ‘One of the biggest reasons is because they\u2019re going too hard too fast too often.’<\/p>\n

‘If we want to row for longevity, we have to let our ego die down and we have to stop racing every row we do.’ He also stresses the importance of strength work alongside cardio, arguing that ‘if rowing preserves our endurance, strength training preserves our structure’.<\/p>\n

\"male<\/p>\n

Fly View Productions\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Weekly Routine for Longevity<\/p>\n

If you want to include rowing in your routine, Hendrickson recommends the following plan for long-term fitness and sustainability:<\/p>\n