Feeling Stiff As You Age? Here’s How Rowers Stay Mobile (Without Fancy Routines)
Struggling with stiffness as you age?
Learn how rowers combat it with simple on-water mobility tips, dynamic warmups, and real-world routines that keep your body moving and pain-free, no mat required.
If you’re a master rower, odds are your day doesn’t look like a full-time athlete’s. You’re coming to the boathouse after work, after errands, after a full day on your feet (or behind a desk).
And if you’re like most, you’re skipping a proper warmup. You grab your oars, get the boat down, hop in, and go.
I get it. Time is limited.
But if you want to keep your body moving well, and avoid that stiff, creaky feeling, you have to start building in some mobility work, especially as we age.
The good news?
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Here’s what I recommend to my clients and group classes, especially when we’re short on time:
1. Dynamic Warmups on the ERG or in the Boat
We might not always stop to stretch on the ground, but there are a few things you can do while in the boat that make a big difference:
Thoracic Rotation: With oars on your lap, grab the footplate and gently twist through your upper back. This helps counteract all that rounded posture most of us walk around with.
Hamstring Hinge Stretch: Take one foot out of the stretcher, place the oar across your body, and do a few hip hinges reaching toward that foot. Opens up the hamstrings fast.
2. Don’t Forget Your Hands + Wrists
We use our hands as anchor hooks in every drive. Stretch your finger extensors and flexors before and after rows to keep those small muscles happy and functional.
3. Stretch Something Daily, Seriously
If you have time after your row, get on the ground and stretch.
My go-to? The pretzel stretch (check it out on my YouTube channel).
One movement hits:
Trunk rotation
Hip rotators
Quads
Dorsiflexors
One stretch, a lot of bang for your buck.
4. Get Out of Your Regular Range
We all spend a ton of time hunched, forward, tight. I always tell my rowers: reach up, extend, and lie on your stomach once a day. Seriously.
We need to practice getting into extension, especially through the thoracic spine and low back.
It’s not fancy. But it works.
Bottom line?
Mobility doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be consistent.
Build it into your rowing routine. Treat it like part of your training, not an optional “if I have time” thing.
Your back (and hips, and shoulders, and wrists…) will thank you.
If you need assistance with getting your training on track as you age check out Square Performance, Rowing on the Square's training performance community!