Every year in the early fall, the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department offers an introductory class on rowing at the University of Kansas Boathouse in Burcham Park.

And every year since the program’s launch in 2010, folks have continued to sign up for the one-time class, which sends would-be rowers in boats down the Kansas River, weather permitting, with coaches and student-athletes from KU’s rowing team guiding them through the ABCs of the sport.

“It fills every year,” says Jo Ellis, recreation instruction supervisor at Lawrence Parks and Recreation.

This fall’s Rowing Clinic, slated for 9 to 11 a.m. Sept. 17 at Burcham Park, 220 Indiana St., is still open. At $30 per participant, the clinic is open to anyone (it’s specifically designed for those with minimal rowing experience) 14 and older. As of Monday, Ellis says that roster ranges from teenagers all the way up to folks in their late 50s.

The course, she adds, is one of the department’s most popular, which is fueled in part by its exclusivity. Because it’s only offered once a year (KU Rowing doesn’t have the ability to lend out its facilities and team personnel more than that, Ellis says) and its introductory nature, enthused participants often leave the class asking Ellis, “Now what?”

“I know there’s people who want to do it,” she says. “It’s just, do I have an instructor? Do I have the equipment?”

The city’s Parks and Recreation facilities, to the best of her knowledge, don’t. But the indoor rowing machine is — and has long been — a fixture in gyms everywhere, says Vic White, an exercise physiologist with Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s Therapy Services. Most fitness centers have at least two or three, he says.

And while he hasn’t seen a huge uptick in interest locally, White says “it’s a real likely possibility” that a nationwide surge in rowing popularity could soon make its way from the coasts to the Midwest.

In recent years, trendy rowing studios (in the vein of yoga or spinning, for instance) have begun popping up in taste-making places like New York City. Closer still is Health House, which opened its first Kansas City-area location along State Line Road in 2013 and will expand to nearby Leawood this fall.

White, who works with clients — some in therapy, some not — to develop exercise plans based on individual health needs, sees rowing as a “great option” for people of all ages and fitness levels.

“It’s a cardio, full-body rhythmic (activity) that people can do,” he says, comparing rowing’s many benefits to those of swimming. A session, on the water or on the indoor rower, involves the entire body, including the legs, arms, upper back and hips. “And it works your lungs like crazy.”

Rowing is also a relatively low-impact exercise, making it an ideal option for those suffering from orthopedic issues. It’s efficient, too, burning up to 12.5 calories per minute, according to researchers at Harvard University.

“They’re low-impact — you’re sitting down — and you can actually set the degree of difficulty, because it’s based upon water resistance or a fan,” White says of rowing machines. “You can pull or push with your legs off the platform to create the resistance you want. It’s self-regulating in that sense. Plus, once you get there, it’s relatively easy to do.”

Folks with chronic heart or lung ailments, he says, may want to exercise some caution before hopping on a rowing machine. But, as with any new fitness routine, it’s best to check in with your physician or health care provider first, White says.

“It’s a really fun sport,” Ellis agrees. “If you’re interested, I would say give it a try and see if you like it.”

For more information on Parks and Recreation’s Rowing Clinic, visit www.lawrenceks.org. Pre-registration (enrollment caps at 20) is required, and can be completed online or at any Parks and Recreation Facility.