This week's Me And My Rower is written by Trish Mostyn. If you've got a story you'd like to share, wing it over to [email protected]. I have read with great interest the indoor rowing newsletters and, in addition, attended many of the indoor rowing events over the past couple of years where Jim, my husband has competed. I have very often been prompted to write something on the benefits of indoor rowing as perceived by myself, but have never had the confidence to do so, always assuming that what I had to say was probably not of much value. This said, having met someone this week who was in awe of my opinion on the Indoor Rower and is off to buy one....here I go waxing lyrical!. I am currently in remission from thyroid cancer and have found great difficulty in taking exercise due to an increased heart rate caused by the medication I take. In addition, I have severe muscle weakness, particularly in the legs, caused by the medication. Added to this has been a problem of weight gain due to my inactivity. My resting heart rate is high, 75 plus, which is a difficult start point in terms of measuring where to go forward from. It also rises very quickly and with very little exertion. I have found, above every alternative form of exercise, that the Indoor Rower allows me to manage fully what I do in terms of exertion and pace and also whilst rowing, I am exercising to the fullest extent possible, I wear a heart rate monitor and row accordingly. My heart rate is becoming more manageable as I row more often. It became seriously high initially but I am finding improvement with regular rowing although, that said, anyone normal would be expecting to die on the spot at my rate! I have a new lease of life thanks to the Indoor Rower. This said, my Rower is, as I write, missing - my husband, no doubt, has an oversubscribed Crew Class and has made off with it in my absence. If you are reading this Jim, please return it immediately, or else! Trish also writes that: It would be good to hear of anyone else in a similar situation to that of myself and who has found indoor rowing of help, perhaps we could motivate one another or maybe even arrange an event of some description. If you are in a similar boat, drop us a line via [email protected] and we'll pass it on to her. For more information about her husband Jim's crew classes, go to http://www.therowingcompany.com/news/news.php?story=jim_mostyn