Forget Peloton. Run for a 25% off deal on the Hydrow Rowing Machine (2026)

You’ll actually feel like you’re on the water when you tap the touchscreen to glide through very beautiful lakes and rivers, following the instructor who chats with you and tells you when to relax and when to push.

You have just logged in (Lake Lure, North Carolina).a place I’d never heard of or thought about going before, but it actually looked pretty nice. (It turns out that Lake Lure is Where they filmed Dirty dancing, Which is pretty cool.)

The essence of the experience for me is the competition. You can get a live feed of how other rowers are performing on the same course. You can see how many meters in front of you or behind you, and you can jump from your position by pulling with extra force. It’s a little similar Mario Kartif you are playing a card (and you cannot block your opponents with banana peels or thunderclouds). When I see a woman in her 60s in front of me, but close enough that I can pass her, you know I’m pushing hard to pass her (even though there are dozens of other women in their 60s by now I’ll never feel the need to wake them up).

You can also get practice on your form, either on screen or via an email sent to you after the session. In the session I just had, I returned to my desk to find an email telling me that my accuracy was very good, while my strength and endurance were not. I will work on that.

I’m still very new to rowing, but the Hydrow machine has managed to get me excited about it, which is the best you can ask for from a piece of exercise equipment.

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