Pivarnik compares rowing to swimming and running. And, when compared at similar heart rates, rowing burns about the same number of calories as running. Although no sport offers immunity from injuries, rowers, when they're using their equipment correctly, tend to avoid many of the stress injuries common to other sports such as running. The trouble spot is the back. That's where most injuries occur, Pivarnik says, and more often than not, the culprit is overdoing it.
Knees are another area prone to rowing injuries.
Something for everyone Lesnau rows out of the Detroit Boat Club at the foot of the Belle Isle Bridge. Although the clubhouse is abandoned, the rowing club is thriving. The boat club actually began as a rowing club back in 1839. Today, it's the oldest continuous rowing club in the country. As sports go, rowing is relatively inexpensive.