BALANCING INDOOR & OUTDOOR EXERCISE

As the weather warms up, spending time outside is essential for physical and mental health. Outdoor activities are a great way to vary your routine, reconnect with nature after a long hiatus, and get a daily dose of vitamin D.

But if you already have a rowing routine—or you're in the process of building one—there's no need to throw in the towel just because the outdoors call.

Here are some tips to integrate outdoor activities in a way that complements your indoor workouts, rather than taking them over completely.

CHOOSE OUTDOORS FOR ENDURANCE

Tons of outdoor activities are great for endurance training, low-intensity training, and recovery sessions — think walking, hiking, running, swimming, cycling, rollerskating, and even paddleboarding. If done with proper form, all of these (with the exception of running) are low-impact fitness that can perfectly compliment your rowing workouts. 

CHOOSE INDOOR ROWING FOR HIIT

You can ramp up the intensity with those outdoor activities, but unless you're comfortable designing your own workout plans, it's difficult to know how hard to push yourself and how to structure each workout. For those reasons, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is more impactful on your Ergatta rower, where your workouts are perfectly calibrated to your fitness level. Ergatta workouts push you just the right amount, so you're not left guessing how hard to go, and they provide adequate recovery time with built-in cool-downs. 

You can find HIIT workouts across every Ergatta experience—your favorite will have plenty available in the library. Our Community Games—Race and Vortex—are perfect for you if you like to fuel your HIIT workouts with competition. By contrast, our Solo Games—Meteor, Pulse, Echo, Wavelength, and Endeavor—are perfect for you if you find that motivation through games.

And of course, on extra hot days or days when a trip to the pool, bike path, or hiking trail are out of the equation, there are tons of endurance-focused workouts right on your rower. Just filter your favorite Ergatta workout experience by "endurance", then pick the one with the right duration and level of intensity.

FINDING THE RIGHT CADENCE

For balancing indoor and outdoor workouts, we recommend that you aim for at least 2 days per week of HIIT training. Then on your non-rowing days, head outside for some longer form of endurance training or recovery workouts.

STAYING ACCOUNTABLE

If you're worried about accountability and straying from your goals over the summer, here are some tips and things to keep in mind.

• Bring a friend along on your outdoor excursions. If they have an Ergatta rower too, chat about the workouts you plan to do for your indoor training sessions.
• Mix up your outdoor activities so you're utilizing different muscle groups, ranges of motion, and motor patterns.
• If seasonal allergies get you, stock up on your go-to allergen relief methods so you're less likely to cancel outdoor plans.
• Join a Push Program so you don't have to find a workout at the beginning of every rowing session.
• Set (or update) your weekly goal on your rower to accommodate your schedule.

NEED WORKOUT PLANNING INSPO?

One Ergatta member settled into this summer routine: 3x per week, they rowed after work, then 2x per week, they got up early before work for a short hike. For them, Monday - Friday was about using convenience to improve consistency. Then on the weekend, they went for longer hikes and paddleboarding sessions at a nearby lake. 

How will you plan to get outside and get active this spring? Share your plans with the Ergatta Community, or find inspiration from others!