Exercising in a second story apartment

kayla_who
kayla_who Posts: 540 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Looking for suggestions on what kinds of exercises I can do on a rainy day like today when I can't get out for a walk. I have Tae Bo DVDs, etc, but I live in a second story apartment with fussy neighbors living below me, so kickboxing is out of the question. Ideas?
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Replies

  • dirtyflirty30
    dirtyflirty30 Posts: 222 Member
    ... they seriously complain about you working out during daytime hours? Lame.

    What about yoga? Unless you fall over, it should be fairly noise-less, lol.
  • daniel_parrett
    daniel_parrett Posts: 30 Member
    20 squats, 20 push ups, 20 crunches, in rotation with no resting- im super paranoid about making noise in my apartment.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Get a carpet and/or some padding to muffle sound, first of all

    Do low-impact kickboxing (squats, lunges, kicks, pushups, land softly for jumping jacks
  • kellykneppergrundy
    kellykneppergrundy Posts: 234 Member
    fitnessblender.com offers a free quiet cardio video, ideal for apartment dwellers.
  • ElJefeChief
    ElJefeChief Posts: 650 Member
    I just do it. Eventually my neighbors complained to the manager and the manager asked me if I could just exercise after 7am and before 7pm. So, now, I get on my treadmill at the strike of 7am most mornings. They can suck it if they don't like it. :wink:
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    For aerobic activity, go up and down your apartment stairs. Yoga is good, too. Here's a youtube video, an hour and twenty-five minutes long, that I've never managed to get through in it's entirety.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D7qAQ720x8
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Honestly, I would just do what you want. It's the middle of the day. Are you sure they are even home?
  • katherinemab
    katherinemab Posts: 57 Member
    I've also had complainers for neighbors and know that life. Check out PiYo.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Go to the gym. That is what gyms are for.

    Constantly irritating your neighbors is not appropriate.
  • Unknown
    edited July 2015
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  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    edited July 2015
    I get that some people have babies or work at night, but if you're in a first story apartment, you really can't expect people to hold up their very lives for your schedule.

    If you want to do it the nice way, I'd write a letter or knock on their door and ask them if there's a time range when you could work out when you wouldn't disturb them. If you want to do it the slightly less nice way, I'd talk to the manager and inform them of the situation, then go ahead and work out anyway. It's within your legal rights to use your apartment during reasonable hours.

    That being said, when I lived up on the third floor, I found that stair climbing was kind of a nice activity.

    Edit - corrected to first story. That's one of the expectations of living beneath someone - said by someone who lived in a basement apartment for 15 years.
  • discretekim
    discretekim Posts: 314 Member
    Wow I would see 7 am as way too early. I would say between 9 am and 9 pm is appropriate lol. But that is ridiculous anyway.
  • kayla_who
    kayla_who Posts: 540 Member
    Go to the gym. That is what gyms are for.

    Constantly irritating your neighbors is not appropriate.

    Not everyone can afford gym memberships, but thanks for the suggestion.
  • TheChangeIsNow
    TheChangeIsNow Posts: 48 Member
    I usually do two things - either do the stairs (meaning first floor to the top) or I hop on my portable stair stepper. The stair stepper has been amazing! It's a great way to burn some calories all while catching up on all of my favorite shows! I place it in front of my tv and go to work! Takes your mind off of the exercising - before you know it, you've had a pretty decent workout.

    Good luck!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    What about outside? Or better yet...Outdoor gym! Free! Do you have one?
  • bogwoppt1
    bogwoppt1 Posts: 159 Member
    Walk in the rain.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Oh I forgot about the rain, sorry. I got excited about outdoor gyms.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited July 2015
    Walk At Home....or any low impact cardio

    www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jessa+smith+walk
    The titles with "power" or "interval" will not be low impact

    www.youtube.com/user/walkathomemedia

    Strength training (not circuit training) will be quiet.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Anything that involves jumping up and down will not be considered reasonable use of your apartment. That is not a normal use. Eat, sleep, store your clothes--yes. Use the space as an exercise studio--no.

    Other people may need to sleep during the day, work from home, etc. You may have neighbors who are elderly or ill. It's not OK for the OP to disrupt the lives of strangers.

    Planet Fitness=$10/month.
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    Anything that involves jumping up and down will not be considered reasonable use of your apartment. That is not a normal use. Eat, sleep, store your clothes--yes. Use the space as an exercise studio--no.

    Other people may need to sleep during the day, work from home, etc. You may have neighbors who are elderly or ill. It's not OK for the OP to disrupt the lives of strangers.

    Planet Fitness=$10/month.

    Well, if that's the case then people with kids who live in upper level apartments are SOL - because there's no stopping them from running, screaming, or jumping up and down in the middle of the day.

    That's why I suggested talking to the people below first.

    And yes, $10/month for a gym membership (in a not-so-great gym) is still "expensive" to some people.
  • AwesomeSauceTN
    AwesomeSauceTN Posts: 27 Member
    I'm all about the hula hoop. Its slightly weighted (maybe 1-1/2 lbs) and so its easier to keep up than the hoops we played with back when we were kids. I hooped all winter inside my apartment. You burn between 400-1,000 calories doing "hoop dance". In case you've never heard of it --here is a video of my favorite dancer, Rachael Lust. www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGuvNtS5kb8
    There's a ton of You Tube videos to teach you how. Best part? Its super fun. Neighbors might complain when they hear you giggle (: Good luck!
  • North44
    North44 Posts: 359 Member
    Leslie Sansone's walking videos are good. You can find them free on You Tube.
  • kayla_who
    kayla_who Posts: 540 Member
    Anything that involves jumping up and down will not be considered reasonable use of your apartment. That is not a normal use. Eat, sleep, store your clothes--yes. Use the space as an exercise studio--no.

    Other people may need to sleep during the day, work from home, etc. You may have neighbors who are elderly or ill. It's not OK for the OP to disrupt the lives of strangers.

    Planet Fitness=$10/month.

    Well, if that's the case then people with kids who live in upper level apartments are SOL - because there's no stopping them from running, screaming, or jumping up and down in the middle of the day.

    That's why I suggested talking to the people below first.

    And yes, $10/month for a gym membership (in a not-so-great gym) is still "expensive" to some people.

    I love you for this!

    I have a 5 year old and my neighbors complained about her playing. If you want absolute silence, don't live in a fricking 1st story apartment. I hear my neighbors above me all day and all night, but it doesn't bother me. If it did I wouldn't live here.
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  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    Hula hooping is about the only thing I can think of that you can do in silence.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Anything that involves jumping up and down will not be considered reasonable use of your apartment. That is not a normal use. Eat, sleep, store your clothes--yes. Use the space as an exercise studio--no.

    Other people may need to sleep during the day, work from home, etc. You may have neighbors who are elderly or ill. It's not OK for the OP to disrupt the lives of strangers.

    Planet Fitness=$10/month.

    the other side of that is one should understand that living in an apartment, in an urban environment, necessarily involves proximity to others and tolerating what comes with that proximity to some degree (sounds, smells, whatever).

    OP seriously get some heavy carpeting or some mats (like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/TG-EVA-Foam-Exercise-Mat/23518559 ) to minimize disruption to your neighbours, and if you're going to do any kind of jumping - which I think is mostly and usually bad idea for joints, but that's neitiher here nor there; there's heavy plyo and then there's jumping jacks - jump LOW (just an inch or two off the ground) and land SOFT (better for you anyway)

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Talk to your neighbors and see if you all can't work out some kind of schedule that allows you to exercise without upsetting them too much.

    If they can't (or won't) work with you, then screw them. If they don't want to hear activity above them, let them find a place to live where there won't be any.

    It would be crazy for you to refrain from exercising because your neighbors didn't want you to do it.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Talk to your neighbors and see if you all can't work out some kind of schedule that allows you to exercise without upsetting them too much.

    If they can't (or won't) work with you, then screw them. If they don't want to hear activity above them, let them find a place to live where there won't be any.

    It would be crazy for you to refrain from exercising because your neighbors didn't want you to do it.

    Exactly. Some people need a reality check.
  • KrisiAnnH
    KrisiAnnH Posts: 352 Member
    I'm in the same situation as you, I don't have fussy neighbours (yet) but I live in a second story flat, and I'm always conscious of noise. We have wooden floors too so its pretty noisy if I jump/drop anything. As other people have said fussy neighbours can be a pain and I don't understand the issue myself, but sometimes it's easier just to be considerate, as you are being, for an easier life :)

    I use Fitnessblender myself, they have a lot of 'no jump' workouts, and any exercises that involve floor/mat exercises reduce possible noise :)This and this are two of my favourites with minimal noise :)

    Apart from that I do my workouts barefoot (so that shoes don't make unnecessary noise) and an exercise mat as extra noise insulation :)
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