Warm-Up Routine For Rowing

If you enjoy rowing, whether it’s on a water rower, Concept 2, or another machine, there are a few simple exercises you can do off the rower to help you feel more functional and aligned while training.

The first is a seated floor twist, which helps unwind any built-up rotation in your spine or hips. Sit tall on your sit bones with both legs extended and feet flexed. Cross one leg over the other and gently twist toward the side of the bent leg. You can hug your knee or hook your elbow outside it, whatever feels best. Keep your spine long and upright. Breathe deeply and hold for 30 seconds to a minute before switching sides.

Next, loosen up your spine with a few cat-cow movements. Sit tall and tilt your pelvis forward and back, letting the rest of your spine follow. This helps activate and loosen your lower back and hips in a safe, supported way.

Then we move to a sitting floor exercise against a wall or door. Sit with your back as upright as possible, pressed against the wall. Flex your feet straight up, keeping them aligned, not turning in or out. Engage your quads so your knees are straight and legs active. Your palms can rest face up on your thighs. Focus on staying tall through your spine, as if there’s a string pulling from the crown of your head. Hold for one to three minutes.

From the side, this posture mimics the position you want when rowing: upright, hips engaged, and pelvis in a strong forward tilt. This kind of prep makes it easier to use your legs and hips efficiently on the rower instead of rounding your back or collapsing in your seat.

These drills help you stay connected to your posture while rowing, so next time your instructor says “sit tall,” you’ll know it’s not just about your shoulders, it starts from the pelvis. Let us know if you try it or if you have any questions.

Serving Colorado from our centrally located office in Westminster and seeing clients from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, Denver and Boulder, we can also help globally via WebCam such as Zoom or FaceTime.

Anu Lawrence owned Egoscue Method clinics for over a decade before moving to private practice in 2022 and is a certified master instructor in the Egoscue Method, having learned the craft from Pete Egoscue directly.