Forget Peloton. Get Up To 25% Off Hydro Rowing Machines (2026)

You’ll feel like you’re on the water as you navigate the touchscreen to cross beautiful lakes and rivers, following along with an instructor who chats with you and tells you when to rest and when to push.

I just logged in Lake Lure in North Carolinaa place I’ve never heard of or thought about going to but which looks really cool. (Apparently Lake Lure is where he drew Dirty Dancing, which is great.)

The heart of the event, for me, is the competition. You get a live feed of what other paddlers are doing on the same trail. You can see how many meters ahead or behind they are, and you can jump by stopping hard. It’s like a little bit Mario Kartif you power up the kart (and you couldn’t stop your opponents with banana skins or thunder clouds). If I see a woman in her sixties in front of me but she’s too close to get in, you know I’m going to push hard to pass her (although there are many other women in their sixties so far I won’t hear them wake up).

You are also coached on your form, both on screen and via email sent to you after your session. In the session I just did, I returned to my desk to find an email informing me that my accuracy was excellent, while my strength and endurance were not. I will work on it.

I’m still very new to rowing, but the Hydrow machine has managed to impress me, which is the best you can ask for from a range of fitness equipment.

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