Cardio on a second floor apartment...

rivka_m

Whatever you decide to do, if you switch exercise and homework i.e. if you exercise earlier in the day, it is less likely that your neighbours will notice it and/or complain, since there is more background noise during that time - everyone is coming home, making dinner, etc. as opposed to later in the day when people are preparing to go to sleep.

Well... that means I'm waking up at 5-6 am, working at 8 until 5:30, coming home and working on homework until 10. unless I literally sleep RIGHT at 10 I won't be getting enough sleep. I do believe in the whole 8 hours being healthier for you thing. Most nights, I don't get that much. But my choice is to sacrifice homework for working out? Hell no. I'm an honor student with graduation coming up.

I believe the poster meant switching when you do them - ie come home, do cardio, then start homework. So the time available for sleep should be the same.

I second the fitnessblender idea, I am also in a second floor apt and they have a nice apartment workout. Also, do you have a basement or first floor storage/laundry common area? I've done ten minutes worth of jumping jacks, etc in the basement laundry room.

erinfk14

I do the stairs in my building at work in the morning and after lunch, and in my apartment building when I don't have time for anything else. They're way harder than one might think...a really good quick workout!

gothchiq

If you do faster paced yoga videos you will get cardio benefits without any jumping, thumping, or banging. I certainly breathe harder and work up a sweat doing it.

hippalottame

LOVE my mini rebounder. Get the banded kind that folds. Supposedly burns more than jogging. FUN!!!

HellaCarriefornia

Can you walk on your lunch break at work? Otherwise, lay on your back and do "bicycles" in the air at home? That's all I got.

Tiranoua

Since you're on the second floor and don't want to make noise through jumping etc I'd suggest doing other forms of cardio which doesn't make so much noise! You could use a hula hoop, do air-bicycles (whatever they're called!), or invest in an elliptical machine (if you have the money!)

flavia1432

Try throwing punches. Seriously. Feet a little wider then hip width apart and squat - the deeper the better but mind your knees. Fists in front of face, elbows close to the body: throw alternating punches towards a spot on the wall, TV, cat, whatever. Twist your body. Change it up and throw hooks while stepping out to side lunges. Kick to the front, the side but keep your arms punching. This is serious cardio and great for people with knee problems, or for people living on top of neighbors - there is no jumping. Let me know what you think.

RB4470

Hula Hoop! It's cheap and surprisingly high intensity (once you can get it to stay up, LOL)

I tried Hula Hooping, but i just gave up after a day. Lol
It's so hard to keep it to stay up.
As someone suggested earlier, maybe a Yoga Dvd!

missiontofitness

I'm saying this as nicely as possible...all I can read are excuses in your posts.

Agreed. Say you don't like fitness websites, yet joined one. Got great advice, yet had an excuse each time why you can't do this workout, or that workout. Wrote a very passive aggressive post as well in response to the great suggestions you got.

I am a graduate student. I work. I go to the gym when I'm exhausted. I do crunches and leg lifts in my living room during commercials. I wake up early to go for walks or to work out sometimes. I pay an arm and a leg to go to school just like you. My schoolwork is important. My job is important. But my health is important too. I make time for this, no excuses.

If you want it, make it happen.
But if you are going to tell people off in this thread, and have an excuse every time someone tries to help you, I'd suggest you find what works for you on your own.

And if noise is such an issue, have a conversation with your neighbors and tell them when you want to work out so they're aware to expect noise.

Problem solved.

mz_getskinny

I'm saying this as nicely as possible...all I can read are excuses in your posts.

Agreed. Say you don't like fitness websites, yet joined one. Got great advice, yet had an excuse each time why you can't do this workout, or that workout. Wrote a very passive aggressive post as well in response to the great suggestions you got.

I am a graduate student. I work. I go to the gym when I'm exhausted. I do crunches and leg lifts in my living room during commercials. I wake up early to go for walks or to work out sometimes. I pay an arm and a leg to go to school just like you. My schoolwork is important. My job is important. But my health is important too. I make time for this, no excuses.

If you want it, make it happen.
But if you are going to tell people off in this thread, and have an excuse every time someone tries to help you, I'd suggest you find what works for you on your own.

And if noise is such an issue, have a conversation with your neighbors and tell them when you want to work out so they're aware to expect noise.

Problem solved.

^^^ Nailed it!

BRobertson23

I am a big fan of Jillian Michael's Front and Back Side workouts (for Beginners). It gives several circuits that include a section of cardio that isn't too crazy on jumping around. She even gives different ideas and modifications that I think would fit your squeaky apartment situation. The other suggestion I have is to find ways to incorporate exercise at work. I don't know what type of job you have, but I do squats every time I take a bathroom break, calf raises when I'm moving around my office, and then I also walk on both of my breaks during the day. If you can even do some walking during lunch, that helps too.

You need to figure out a plan. I think you can balance everything accordingly, but it would be beneficial for you to have a plan, like: calf raises while you brush your teeth every morning, then walk during your breaks at work, and then hit on some resistance training at nights. Find a plan that you feel comfortable with....and to be honest, don't get shy about moving around in your apartment. What about those folks with toddlers and children running around upstairs? It's all apartment life. People can deal with a quick 30 minute thump session.

AskTracyAnnK28

Squats, lunges, crunches, leg lifts....make no noise and cost no money. You can start with 3 sets of 15 and work your way up.

Maybe a pilates DVD as well. I love me some pilates. You can check amazon and probably get one used for under $20.

nilbogger

There are plenty of low-impact workout videos on Youtube. Check out BeFit, FitnessBlender, Blogilates, or Sparkpeople.

skullshank

how far is a gym from you?

you mention you have about an hour and a half free.
seems like plenty of time to get to a gym and get a good workout in.
plus, it would greatly open up your options of what to do.

Sweetvirgo63

I live on the upper floor of a house so I know what you're saying about jumping and all that. I don't do any high impact and keep it all low impact. I have a variety of fitness dvd's from Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds as well as from the 10 Minute solutions. If you want to intensify your movements, use free weights when you squat or walk etc.

Cliffslosinit

I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO CLARIFY

THE REASON THERE IS NO JUMPING IS BECAUSE I LIVE IN A CHEAP. OLD APARTMENT. I cannot walk in the house without the walls slightly rattling. My friend who is 130lbs cannot walk in my house without the floors squeaking.
I am a full time student who spends over 12 grand a year on tuition bills and payments. I'm also a full-time worker that doesn't necessarily have a great job here. I get paid over minimum wage but it's not like I can afford to purchase a bike or treadmill and manage to fit it in a tiny barely 1-bedroom apartment.
(NOT TO MENTION A TREADMILL... WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE NOISE HERE. AEROBIC VIDEOS.. JUMPING BEING THE MAIN KEY WOULD OBVIOUSLY MAKE NOISE HERE.)

You mad bro?
There is lot's of great advice here...calm down.

Archon2

I had an apartment once where there was a couple of kids in the level above me that jumped on their beds like trampolines for an hour or more every weeknight for a week. I had to go upstairs and ask their Dad to tell them to stop. Then they would slowly resume the fun after a few minutes. And I would knock on the door and ask their Dad again...repeat...repeat...and the next night...and the next... Obviously they didn't take him or me seriously, lol.

So OP, please don't jump on the bed all night.

JoannaEngel84

Sounds more like you don't actually want to do any cardio. There must be somewhere within a few minute drive that you can go for a run or walk. And why do the stairs have to be IN your apartment? Run the ones outside. My sister and I run stairs in hotels and stuff all the time. Get a jump rope, go outside your house and jump rope for a bit. Also, if you have a regular bike, you can buy a stand that turns it into a stationary bike. There are all sorts of ways you can get exercise without a gym membership.

AliceDark

Well, you don't need to exercise to lose weight. If it doesn't work for your living situation and schedule right now, don't worry about it. Focus on eating at a deficit and you'll lose weight just fine without cardio.

csuhar

Squats, lunges, crunches, leg lifts....make no noise and cost no money. You can start with 3 sets of 15 and work your way up.

Maybe a pilates DVD as well. I love me some pilates. You can check amazon and probably get one used for under $20.

Squats are remarkably good at getting the heart rate up without lifiting a foot off the floor.

And OP: you could at least look around for a stationary bike, rowing machine, or something like that. Anyone who's bought a machien for at-home use knows how pricey those things can be, and nobody's saying you have to go and buy a top-dollar machine. Yard sales, newspapers, and places like craigslist are rife with people trying to get rid of fitness equipment they don't use, don't want, or have outgrown. With as much space as those items can take up, someone who wants to get rid of one may be VERY willing to negotiate the price.

The stairs you use to get up to your apartment can also be used as a stairclimber. You could run up them, walk up them, even try to sneak up them while making as little noise as possibe and get a workout. Each step is a miniature / partial-range-of-motion one-legged squat.

There is also the possibility that, given this timeframe of doing things before 10 PM, your neighbors might not mind. I once lived in an apartment where it sounded like there was an elepant living above us who might come crashing down through the ceiling at any moment. But, during the day, we heard him but we didn't really care. When we were going to bed, so was he, so the creaking floor / ceiling wasn't an issue at that point.