Yeah, you've bought fitness equipment before. There's the all-in-one home gym that's in several pieces in the garage, needing a spare part to fix it that you can't get. The mountain bike you swore to your spouse you were going to use, but that's in the garage gathering dust, too. And jogging makes your knees ache. But in spite of earlier bad fitness equipment buys, you long for a bit of fitness training.

It might seem like you would be throwing your money away, but wouldn't a rowing machine be a good idea? I don't mean those pneumatic piston things you buy through the mail or over the internet, that don't feel anything like actual rowing and that break in less than week, like the home gym machine that's gathering dust in your garage. I mean good equipment, similar to your mountain bike; the difference is you can use it every day for a few minutes indoors while looking at television instead of getting a sunburn outdoors.

A good rowing machine really does feel like you're pulling oars through the water. And is quiet enough to watch TV while rowing (you'll still need to turn the volume up a little, they're not entirely silent), or while your spouse reads in the next room. And they're no impact so they're easy on your joints.

But the best part is that rowing is a full-body activity. It uses all the muscles in the legs and back and biceps. Add in a few pushups to work the chest and triceps for balance and you've got a complete workout.

The sport of rowing can provide numerous fitness benefits. Rowing can increase your physical strength while improving your endurance when you customize your workout to meet your fitness goals. If you thrive on competition consider entering into a rowing machine competition. The act of competing against others will step up your fitness training while also providing a fun way to keep you motivated.

Even though money for the best machines is usually money well spent, it is wise to beware of diminishing returns. Spending $1000 on a rowing machine from a brand new company may or may not be a great deal. By purchasing from an established and reliable company, however, you are more likely to be able to find replacement parts when you need them. However, buy used when in doubt. Most people who love rowing would never give up their rowing machines. However, machines sometimes break and the owner doesn't realize it can be easily fixed. You can sometimes get an excellent deal this way.