Rowing can be fun, and good functional exercise.

To prevent knee pain when rowing any craft or machine that uses foot bracing, foot wells, or other foot counter-force, do not push off the ball of the foot, pictured above.
Keep your heels down. Push off the whole foot, feeling the push-off through the heel. You will feel the more muscular strong push in the thigh and hip muscles, and the effort will shift off the knees. You will also get better stretch for the bottom of the foot, called the fascia.

Prevent knees from sagging or rotating inward.

Keep knees parallel and over the ankles.
The prayer of the farmer kneeling in his field to weed it, the prayer of the rower
kneeling with the stroke of his oar, are true prayers heard throughout nature.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
---