Neighbour hates it when I work out!

RedVelvetCurls

Hey guys and ladies,

I'm doing the 30 Day Shred for the second time in order to be fit for August (I'm cosplaying at a convention lol), but when I'm jumping or doing buttkicks, my neighbour bangs his ceiling up at me. I must disturb him for those 20 minutes, but I really want to workout, so I've tried to reach a happy medium. I wrote him a letter, which said:

"Hi there,

My name is

---

and I live in the flat above you. I would like to apologise in advance for any loud footsteps or jumping you may hear from me. I do a 20 minute workout every day, and it involves jumping and running on the spot. If there is a particular time you would rather I didn't do this, feel free to tell me and I'll be happy to change my routine.

Thank you,

---

"

Was that the right thing? I'm not sure what else I can do. What can I do if he still doesn't want me to do it? Has anyone else had this problem?

mayerel

I think that seems like a very mature way to resolve the problem. Hopefully he will give you a time that he would be ok with you doing this work out at or maybe the times he would prefer you not to do it. Either way, way to be proactive!!

Also- when jumping, if you can, land on your toes, it will make the landing softer and maybe less impact to him!

ket_the_jet

It makes sense that you should be allotted a few minutes a day to work out, but is there no reason that you couldn't take your workout outdoors or to a common area in the apartment complex?

I would be understanding and forgiving of twenty or so minutes a day, but I won't pretend like it wouldn't annoy me.
-wtk

orangesmartie

I found doing 30DS in bare feet meant I wasn't as noisy on the floor

auzziecawth66

I think you handled that prefect, I had the same problem with my treadmill when I lived in an apartment and did the same thing, we worked it out, good luck

HellsKells

As someone with an upstairs neighbor, I get it, because even just walking around is louder than you think. I have been doing the same workout periodically, and am thankful I don't have to worry about anyone below me. Having said that though, I think the way you approached it is reasonable and mature. I would appreciate my neighbor doing something like that (although we chat quite a bit as it is, so she wouldn't have to write me a letter!)

Hopefully he doesn't give you some off the wall answer and it will work with your schedule. Good luck!

odusgolp

I'm so grateful no one is below me right now, cause it's LOUD when you walk in my place let alone have a five year old, dog, and Jillian Michaels DVDs. Hopefully... it never rents.

kgprice11

Good call on writing him a letter. that is what I would have done. That is your property you are working out on. Talk to your landlord about it and explain to him what you are doing.

soehlerking

psh, whatever. So long as you're doing it during normal hours (8am-9pm I'd say is fair), he has no reason to get his panties in a bundle. When we live in apartments, we accept that there will be SOME noise passing between neighbors. Or you could always play music really loud to drown out your jumping. :laugh:

piesbd

I think that is a very appropriate way to handle the issue. How was the reception?

tomomatic

I think it's fair to provide him with a time frame for when you'll be working out. If he has a problem with it, you can move the time.

You can also get some of those garage mat/ foam puzzle mats to dull the noise.

Also, good luck on your cosplay. I used to go to Otakon in Baltimore and some of those costumes are amazing.

kaa02c

I think you handled it in the correct manner. More than I would've done. Now if he responds with an attitude, I'd do it whenever I felt. Just to piss him off I'd do it a 6 am or 12 am when he's trying to sleep (I'm a nice person, but don't tempt me).

But hell, really and truly you don't have to be nice. If he was so concerned with noise he should've stayed on the highest floor. You pay your rent just like him, and your entitled to use the space as you please! Tell his *kitten* to buy some ear muffs and to keep it moving. If he can't take 20 minutes a day, then I don't know what to tell him. You health is more important that him watching 20 minutes of ESPN or the Sci Fi channel. Sounds like a real jack*** for bamming on the ceeling with a broom, perhaps!

kaa02c

ceiling, I hate spelling mistakes!

Tuffjourney

You sound like a very good neighbor! Very considerate of you really !~

DelilahCat0212

Hey guys and ladies,

I'm doing the 30 Day Shred for the second time in order to be fit for August (I'm cosplaying at a convention lol), but when I'm jumping or doing buttkicks, my neighbour bangs his ceiling up at me. I must disturb him for those 20 minutes, but I really want to workout, so I've tried to reach a happy medium. I wrote him a letter, which said:

"Hi there,

My name is

---

and I live in the flat above you. I would like to apologise in advance for any loud footsteps or jumping you may hear from me. I do a 20 minute workout every day, and it involves jumping and running on the spot. If there is a particular time you would rather I didn't do this, feel free to tell me and I'll be happy to change my routine.

Thank you,

---

"

Was that the right thing? I'm not sure what else I can do. What can I do if he still doesn't want me to do it? Has anyone else had this problem?

What time are you doing this?

myfitnessnmhoy

I think that seems like a very mature way to resolve the problem. Hopefully he will give you a time that he would be ok with you doing this work out at or maybe the times he would prefer you not to do it. Either way, way to be proactive!!

Also- when jumping, if you can, land on your toes, it will make the landing softer and maybe less impact to him!

^^^ This.

And, might I say, I'd love to have you as a neighbor. Stomps around for ONLY 20 minutes during non-quiet-time hours, then sends an apology letter and offers to change their stomping schedule to accommodate my preferences?

If you lived in my apartment building... :flowerforyou:

If this continues to be a problem for them and you wish to remain on their good graces, you might want to try an exercise mat, and/or some of the other ideas like landing on your feet, etc.

But if you have indicated a willingness to work with them, and you are respecting your apartment building's "quiet time" hours if they exist, then they really have no cause for complaint. I think it's great that you are reaching out to work with them, but understand that if they decide they don't want to meet you halfway - it's YOUR apartment and YOUR life, and you get to live it.

You shouldn't be forced to walk around in soft slippers just because your downstairs neighbors don't understand what being downstairs means. But you are being really nice about it, so I really hope they respond in the same courteous manner.

Copy your landlord on the letter so they are aware of the issue, and also so they are aware that you are being nice about it.

chuckyp

I think you handled it politely. But people who live in apartments need to realize that a certain amount of noise is going to come with it. If they can't stand hearing other people, then they need to move to a house in the country.

ItsCasey

If the person who lives below me did that, I'd tell him to go pound sand. I can have a reasonable, adult conversation about inconveniences with a reasonable adult who knocks on my door to air a grievance. I have neither the time nor the inclination to address the concerns of anyone who bangs on his ceiling like a parent trying to get a child to turn down his music.

But generally speaking, I don't really care whether or not my workouts disturb my neighbors. I can't do my workouts elsewhere because I use very heavy weights, in which I've invested a substantial amount of money, that my apartment complex doesn't have in its gym and which I'm not going to try to haul up and down four flights of stairs every day. I've said this before on this very subject ... when you live in an apartment, there are some minor annoyances you are just going to have to accept. Playing loud music at 2 AM or knocking my neighbors' pictures off the wall with my surround system are certainly questionable. My workouts are not.

lour441

Buy a rug and a rug pad.

RedVelvetCurls

Thanks guys! I workout after work, around 6pm. He hasn't responded to me yet but thanks to you all, I feel more ready if he's angry haha! :flowerforyou:

downinaggieland98

If the person who lives below me did that, I'd tell him to go pound sand. I can have a reasonable, adult conversation about inconveniences with a reasonable adult who knocks on my door to air a grievance. I have neither the time nor the inclination to address the concerns of anyone who bangs on his ceiling like a parent trying to get a child to turn down his music.

Awesome response!!

Btw - I think you handled it very considerately! I hope he's not a jerk about it.

myfitnessnmhoy

Thanks guys! I workout after work, around 6pm. He hasn't responded to me yet but thanks to you all, I feel more ready if he's angry haha! :flowerforyou:

6PM is not at all unreasonable, though I guess if he's trying to have a quiet dinner I could understand how it could be annoying.

He has no cause to be angry or upset with you if your worst noise is 20 minutes of stomping around at 6PM.

Maybe he just had a bad evening and that would explain the hammering on the ceiling.

Good on you for trying to be more than reasonable. I hope he responds in kind.

But your landlord should have a copy of your letter on-file as soon as possible, to demonstrate how reasonable you are. That way, if your neighbor starts making stuff up about your "refusal to accommodate his reasonable requests" or such BS (been there, done that), you've got a written record of being WAY more than reasonable about the whole deal.

And if he gets angry, you need to contact your landlord immediately. Threateningly angry, you need to lock the door and call the police. This is a noise matter, no one should get angry about it. A bit annoyed, yeah, but anyone who gets actually angry about 20 minutes of noise at SIX-FREAKING-PM needs some serious psychiatric help.

Impy84

You handled it very well, and as others have said I hope he responds in kind.
This is the reason i don't work out at home. I live on the 3rd floor and would feel badly about disturbing my neighbors.

d0gma

My neighbors get annoyed when I work out, too. I like to work out naked like the original Olympians. They said I could use their equipment whenever I wanted, I don't know what their deal is.

Chocolate_Queen

Sounds like the perfect reaction to me. It was nice of you to offer to change your schedule to suit. I'm sure your neighbour won't mind now he knows what you are up to and that it'll only last 20 minutes.

boomboom011

I say start taking food to him/her. Baked goods. Brownies, cookies and a cake. Tell them its something for them to enjoy while you are working out.

However that was really cool of you to write that.

MaryJane_8810002

Girl you better work out 'til the cops come knocking!

theprettyone1010

Yeah you were much more mature about it than I was. The person that lived below me also HATED whenever I did 30DS. But I just ignored his banging and did it anyways. At least you were nice enough to let him know what was happening.

spartangirl79

I think you did the right thing.

Our neighbor is a terrible D-bag and we can no longer work out in our apartment because, despite writing a similar letter, she is always drunk and always complaining about us to the HOA, even when we are quite like church mice.

I'd love to do some exercise at home but alas, she gets all *****y if I attempt to work out anytime after 5pm. So, I just said forget it. It's too bad, too, because husband has some great workout games on his PS3, and they just sit there.

Honestly, I'd say any reasonable hour is OK for you to exercise, unless your neighbor works a weird shift or something.

Good luck!

NostalgicMuse

OP: You are much nicer than I would be. I am fortunate enough to not have neighbors in my immediate vicinity and haven't ever had to deal with this. Good for you for being the "bigger person" Pun absolutely not intended

spartangirl79

My neighbors get annoyed when I work out, too. I like to work out naked like the original Olympians. They said I could use their equipment whenever I wanted, I don't know what their deal is.

Thundercats, HOOOOO!!!

This actually made me LOL