Rowing in your 60s is about finding a balance between performance and longevity.
While staying active remains extremely important, your focus naturally shifts from repeatedly pushing your limits to maintaining stamina and cardiovascular fitness for the years ahead.
‘By your 60s, the goal won’t be chasing a new personal best every session. It becomes all about protecting the power and muscle you’ve built, while still training hard enough to keep moving forward,’ says Daniel Booth, PT, strength and conditioning coach, performance psychologist and the co-founder of MyoLab Performance Concierge.
The 500m row remains a valuable measure of your ability to sustain high-intensity exertion. Completing the challenge is a rewarding marker of conditioning and progress you’ve built through consistent training.
Average 500m row time for women in their 60s
According to Rowing Level, beginner rowers in their 60s should aim to finish 500m between 02:49 (the time recommended for 60 year olds) and 03:10.2 (the time recommended for 70 year olds).
After about six months, you enter the novice zone, meaning you should be trying to finish your row somewhere between 02:33 and 02:52.
Completing the distance in the 02:17-02:35 range puts you firmly in the intermediate zone, meaning you’re at the same level as someone who has rowed regularly for two years, and makes you faster than 50% of rowers in your age category.
A finish time of 02:04-02:19 is considered an advanced rowing performance, making you faster than approximately 80% of women in your age group. It is an indicator of excellent overall fitness and cardiovascular endurance.
How to row faster in your 60s
Booth outlines four key components of a rowing routine designed to improve your performance.
1. Power sets
Rather than repeated maximal 500m intervals, shorter power sets can be a more effective way to build speed.
‘Once a week, aim for 4-5 x 250-300m bursts at near-maximal effort, with 3-4 minutes’ rest in between, so you get genuine intensity without digging a recovery hole that takes days to climb out of,’ Booth advises.
2. Easy rows
Pair your power sets with one longer, easy row – 15-20 minutes at a properly conversational pace, Booth continues.
‘This builds the aerobic base that makes those harder efforts feel more manageable and helps you bounce back between them,’ he says.
3. Strength training
Strength training matters more now than at any other point, for improving bone density as much as for erg speed.
‘2-3 sessions a week of moderate-load work – leg presses, step-ups, controlled deadlifts, back extensions – help offset the muscle loss that speeds up in this decade,’ Booth clarifies.
4. Hone your technique
Technique is a genuine performance lever too.
‘A quicker, more efficient start to each stroke buys you “free” speed on the monitor without any extra physical strain, which counts for more as recovery windows lengthen,’ he advises.
This means beginning each stroke by driving through your legs to create the initial power, while keeping your core engaged and your chest up. Keep your arms straight and avoid pulling the handle towards your chest until your legs have extended and your torso has moved back.
5. Proper preparation and recovery
Never skip the warm-up. ‘It’s doing double duty, protecting your joints and priming your power output at the same time,’ Booth continues.
Allowing longer for recovery also allows your body to adapt and perform at its best. ‘Give yourself 48-72 hours between harder sessions,’ he says.
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