Fitness equipment: Combining natural design and health

WATERROWER | NOHRD was created through the cooperation between Van der Zijde and the German importer of the originally American WATERROWER. Van der Zijde was importer for the Dutch market of the rowing machine invented in 1988 by John Duke, an engineer at Yale University and candidate for the USA Rowing National Team. Duke wanted his rowing machine to recreate the experience of rowing in a boat, aiming to bring the sound, resistance and physiological benefits of rowing to a wider audience. Moreover, his WATERROWER had to be so beautiful that people would even put it in their living room. The result is a wooden rowing machine that might as well pass for a piece of designer furniture. "The beauty of rowing with real water is that anyone can train on it, regardless of your level or how strong you are," says Van der Zijde. "After all, the strength you put in yourself determines the resistance of the water. So you determine the intensity of a workout yourself."

WATERROWER's beautifully designed and highly effective rowing machines caught on in the Netherlands and Germany. "From the market, the German importer and I were increasingly asked whether we could supply other fitness products in the same style," says Van der Zijde. "These did not yet exist and from America there was little enthusiasm to start producing them. My German colleague then developed a number of other products such as a Wallbar, wooden dumbells and a wooden exercise bike and these caught on enormously with individuals and fitness specialist shops. For a few years, we sold those products under the NOHRD brand name." In the first years WATERROWER and NOHRD coexisted, a year ago it was decided to merge the two brands in Europe into WATERROWER | NOHRD. 

Since then, the range has included the aforementioned rowing machines, a complete home gym, an exercise bike, a treadmill, as well as a wall bar, dumbells, dumbbells and swingbells. All made of natural materials such as wood and leather. So unusually designed that they might as well pass for interior decoration. Whether for rowing, strength training, cardio or flexibility, WATERROWER|NOHRD has a range of products suitable for different fitness goals and environments.

Most of the customers who have brought WATERROWER | NOHRD's beautifully designed fitness equipment into their homes have so far been private individuals, but Van der Zijde sees many opportunities in the business market, including physiotherapists, small-scale personal trainers and, last but not least, the hotel industry. "Surely the aesthetic appeal of our equipment offers a wow factor when entering a hotel gym. The luxurious feel of solid wood and stainless steel exudes quality and sophistication, enhancing the overall experience of the hotel. Many products would not even look out of place in a hotel room itself. Our Wall integrates perfectly into the finest interiors and offers a complete full-body workout in terms of strength and endurance in a small space. The compact version, the NOHRD Wall Compact, is fully pre-configured, while the NOHRD Wall is made up of individual, freely selectable modules." 

WATERROWER | NOHRD's products require no more maintenance than other fitness equipment and are just as hygienic thanks to the special oil the equipment is treated with. "We offer a maintenance contract with every product," explains Van der Zijde. "Of course, wood is a bit more fragile than metal. That's also the reason we don't supply to regular gyms. There, people handle the equipment a bit rougher anyway." 

Hotels that place WATERROWER | NOHRD products in their gyms or hotel rooms thus not only offer their guests the opportunity to exercise, they also leave a lasting impression. Van der Zijde: "It is an investment in quality, style and well-being. We offer customers not only a special design, but also the best feeling during exercise. Our products not only stand out visually from other fitness equipment, they also fit into the environment like a piece of furniture, so they are always in sight and can be used with pleasure."