As February turned into March and March transitioned to April, saving money was at the top of my mind - not spending hundreds of dollars on a piece of fitness equipment. However, as “stir crazy” took on a whole new meaning and our somewhat self-imposed quarantine dragged on, the idea of surviving another month without a reasonable workout regime was somewhat distressing.
As a former college athlete with a susceptibility to minor injuries, I knew both treadmills and stationary bikes were out of the question, while an elliptical wouldn’t provide the same high-intensity sweat session I was looking for. With these considerations in mind, a rowing machine seemed like the obvious choice. My partner and I knew that we wanted one with a flywheel design and quickly narrowed it down to two of the highest-rated rowers on the market: the Concept2 Model D and the RW200 Nordictrack. Even though the former was recommended by our trainer, we decided to go with the Nordictrack. As we were both familiar with the Concept2 design and knew it had to be stored upright, the idea of having a foldable rower that we could store easily was appealing. This decision was not made lightly, but the compact design and flexible payment plan tipped the scales to the Nordictrack. Purchasing a $799 piece of fitness equipment is no breezy decision, so the monthly dues with no APR helped take some of that financial stress off our shoulders.
Only a few weeks in, we’d each already used the rower nearly a dozen times. Due to being low-impact, I’ve been able to manage a 2,000-meter row at least a few days a week without flaring up my knees or back. But what has impressed me the most is its SpaceSaver® design. When I’d initially considered purchasing a rower, I pictured us working out in our garage or out on our small deck, as few machines are so compatible with condo living. With our Nordictrack, I’m simply able to fold it up and roll it into our coat closet when I’m done with my workout.
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There are several technological features that I haven’t yet utilized, including the Bluetooth setup and iFit membership. Admittedly, I appreciate the machine’s simplicity, though I can see myself benefiting from the iFit workouts as the holidays creep up. It might not be an enchanted sleigh, but it’s pretty darn close.
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