Concept2 introduced its indoor rowers to 15 primary and 12 secondary schools between April 2007 and March 2008 in the UK - a move monitored by the Institute of Youth Sport (IYS) at Loughborough University, which interviewed teachers and pupils to assess progress.

Equipment-based exercise programmes make it easier to monitor the progress of children's fitness. However, as Mike Antoniades of The Running School explains: "Some of the traditional tests [of fitness] are pretty useless, because not everyone can do them. So you need to find functional movements: can they run, can they jump, can they turn?"

Nevertheless, more than 90 per cent of teaching staff said the programme had helped to promote physical activity in schools and improve pupil fitness, while 87 per cent felt rowing had helped engage pupils who were not previously active and increased confidence among those disaffected with traditional school PE.

From the participants' perspective, more than 80 per cent of primary school children said they liked rowing because it made them feel fit and healthy, while more than 90 per cent of secondary school kids found rowing enjoyable. One male pupil commented: "In Year 7 I had asthma but, towards the end of this year, I've grown out of it. I think that's because of the rowing."

For further information, see Kids' Fitness feature, Health Club Management, February 2010