Amateur Rowing Association - The Home of British RowingFrequently Asked Questions - About Rowing
You will have to pay a club
membership fee which may vary between £35-£450 per annum, but
this will include the use of facilities and boats. Most clubs
will offer subsidised rates for juniors, students and social
members. If you wish to race you will have to join the Amateur
Rowing Association, but it is worth doing this at an earlier stage as
the benefits of membership include insurance, access to all the
member areas of the website and a monthly magazine.
Apart from the
obvious health advantages of rowing, our rowing clubs and
competitions are in varied often picturesque locations. Rowing offers
a whole range of competitive and social activities. It is a sport for
all ages with people rowing from 7 to 90.
As a beginner you will
probably row once or twice a week and this may gradually increase. If
you wish to row recreationally it doesn't matter how many times, but
if you wish to compete in the national competition structure then
three training sessions a week is a minimum.
The club will
provide you with the equipment and the instruction in order to start
rowing. You will need to dress in clothes that will not restrict your
movements (e.g. track suit).
Rowing may take
a little while to master and as you get better you also become
fitter. Rowing uses more major muscle groups than any other sporting
activity and the primary effects are in the legs, back and arms. As
all your weight is supported by the boat there is no jarring of the
joints and it is a very safe sport. When you become proficient you
can expect to burn 500-600 calories per hour.