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LEARN TO ROW, LEARN TO STRETCH
Marlene Royle, OTR
Rowing has a high degree of sport-specific flexibility. As a novice rower, developing good technique, while increasing the length of your stroke, requires that you have enough flexibility in your legs, hips, and back to accommodate the positions required for rowing. Power, length, and rate are three factors that determine the speed of the boat. When fatigue sets in stroke length typically deteriorates first. Preparing for a stroke, your head is up to maintain posture, the chest comes against the thighs keeping the lower back firm, and your shins are vertical to create a strong position for the quads to work. The ability to set and maintain your body angle on the recovery, achieve full compression of the lower body at the entry, and hold the posture of your trunk throughout the stroke cycle means good hamstring and ankle flexibility are a must. Improving the ability of these muscle groups to lengthen as you compress helps you steady your body preparation, keeping the connection to the blade as you apply your legs. Lack of muscle length in the calf, hamstrings, quadriceps, or lower back is a limiting factor to your progress.
Stretching aids muscle elasticity, relief of soreness, range of motion, blood circulation, and injury prevention. Include stretching exercises in your warm-up as your body gets physiologically prepared to row. Stretching exercises should follow light aerobic activity such as a slow jog or light row on the erg. The intensity should be mild to moderate for five to ten minutes to increase the body's metabolic rate by increasing blood flow to the working muscles and raising the muscle's temperature prior to stretching. Increased body temperature allows nerve impulses to travel faster maximizing coordination. Stretching during the warm-down period is often neglected. It should be a component of your warm-down to accelerate the return of blood to the heart and lungs. The warm-down helps reduce the build up of waste products in the muscles and assists in waste removal by providing adequate blood flow away from the working muscles. Flexibility exercises aid in preventing muscle soreness and averts muscle fiber shortening. Additional flexibility is gained by stretching during the warm-down because you can concentrate on the muscles predominantly used in rowing. During the warm-down they can be elongated more intensively and specifically.
Passive stretching is characterized as low force, long duration exercises which produces good results with little muscle soreness. Passive stretching produces less tension and less resistance. When performed correctly, passive stretching increases range of motion and is a safe procedure. It involves a slow, gradual movement through the range of motion followed by holding a static position, placing the muscles at their greatest possible length for a period of time before relaxing. A passive stretching position is normally held for 10 to 30 seconds and is repeated three to four times for maximum effect. A normal breathing rate should be maintained during the stretch phase. When attention is paid to relaxation the muscles benefit more.
Here are five main stretches to include in your routine each time you row. They can be part of the warm-up and the warm-down. The feet together groin stretch develops flexibility in the groin, specifically the adductors. While sitting, slowly flex the knees bringing the feet towards the trunk. Keep the back straight while putting the soles of the feet together. Grasp the ankles and gently pull the heels towards the groin. Slowly let your knees fall towards the floor until a comfortable stretch is felt in the groin. The hamstring hurdler stretch develops general flexibility in the posterior trunk, hip, thigh, and calf. Specifically in the hamstrings, gluteals, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis posterior. Sit with one leg completely extended and the other tucked into the groin. Lean forward towards the extended leg by flexing at the hips reach towards the ankle of the extended leg. A comfortable stretch should be felt in the hamstrings. Caution, people with existing lower back injuries should be careful when performing this stretch. The prone quadriceps stretch improves general flexibility in the anterior hip and thigh, as well as, the shin by focusing on the quadriceps, iliopsoas, and tibialis anterior muscles. Lie facedown and bend at the knee. Reach back with the same side arm and grasp the ankle. Pull the ankle towards the buttocks until a gentle stretch is felt in the thigh. If you have existing knee injuries do not perform this stretch.
For flexibility in the anterior trunk to open your chest up, the standing arm, shoulder, and chest stretch targets the anterior deltoid, long head of the biceps brachii, corocobrachialis, and pectoral muscles. Interlace the fingers behind the back with the palms facing up. Slowly turn the elbows inward while straightening the arms, and then raise the arms behind the back until a gentle stretch is felt in the arm, shoulder, and chest. The kneeling chest and lower back stretch facilitates increased mobility in the back, posterior shoulder and arm by specifically addressing the latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, pectorals, and triceps muscles. Start on all fours with palms on the floor. Keeping the hips over the knees, slowly lower the chest towards the floor until a gentle stretch is felt in the shoulder, middle back, and lower back.
Additional effective exercises that can be added to your pre- or post-row program include the supine hip flexor stretch, the seated hamstring and calf stretch using a towel, the cat stretch, spinal rotation with hands on hips, and a supine general stretch. The supine hip flexor stretch improves mobility in the anterior hip and abdominals by targeting the iliopsoas, quadriceps, and rectus abdominus muscles. Lie facing up with knees flexed and the soles of the feet on the floor, shoulder width apart. Tighten the abdominal and buttock muscles to raise the lower back and hips off the floor. Raise the back as high as is comfortable while keeping the shoulders in contact. Avoid arching the lower back when performing this exercise.
The purpose of the seated hamstring and calf stretch using a towel is general flexibility in the posterior thigh and calf muscles. The hamstrings, gluteus maximas, erector spine, quadratus lumborum, gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis posterior are stretched. Sit with the legs extended in front. Grasp the ends of a towel in both hands. Bend the trunk forward by flexing at the hips, while wrapping the towel around the bottom of the feet. Pull the upper body closer to the legs by pulling the towel. A comfortable stretch should be felt in the buttock and hamstring areas. The cat stretch is for the lower back especially the erector spinae, rhomboids, and middle trapezius. Kneel on all fours with a flat back, the tops of the feet on the floor. Keep the shoulders and hips directly above the hands and knees respectively. Round the back while tightening the abdominal muscles then relax and return to the start position. Spinal rotation with hands on hips works the back and lower abdominals through the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and oblique abdominals. Stand with your hands on hips, slowly rotate your upper body in one direction as far as comfortable while keeping both feet flat on the ground.
A great way to conclude your routine is with the supine general stretch for flexibility in the front of your body including the serratus anterior, pectorals, latissimus dorsi, teres major, triceps, wrist flexors, finger flexors, rectus abdominus, iliopsoas, tibialis anterior, and toe extensors. Lie face up with both legs extended. Extend both arms directly over your head and interlace your fingers with your palms facing out. Point your toes down and gently elongate your body from tips to toes. A good stretching routine is based on frequency and consistency. On a daily basis, attention to stretching need not take more time than drinking a good cup of coffee does.
This article is an excerpt from Tip of the Blade: Notes on Rowing to be released in May 2008. Tip of the Blade: Notes on Rowing is a collection of over 100 articles by sculling coach and Rowing News columnist, Marlene Royle. Each piece offers a hands-on, practical approach toward improving your understanding of the sport of rowing. Ranging from your first outing in a shell to steering a perfect race, the topics covered in nine chapters include: flexibility, breathing, posture, core strengthening, coordination, skill development, aerobic conditioning, recovery, oarsmanship, sweep and sculling technique, rhythm, boat stability, bladework, performance drills, self-coaching, mental training, event planning, starts, sprinting, head-style events, marathoning, rigging, erging, and coaching. Whether you are a trainer planning the fall season for your novice squad, a competitive sculler who needs to improve stroke length, or a recreational rower looking to gain more fluidity, this anthology has valuable information to help you develop your technique, methods, and results. Available through your local bookseller or www.amazon.com.
Marlene Royle, OTR is the co-author of Skillful Rowing, Rowing News columnist and founder of Roylerow Performance Program the first online coaching service for rowers. Email: Roylerow@aol.com or www.RoyleRow.com.
