Working out on a concrete floor?

Try a padded mat. They have them at all the home and garden stores (like Bed, Bath, and Beyond or Home Goods or probably even at Target). They're really cushy and meant to go in the kitchen for chefs on their feet all day. My hair salon has them too.

Maybe a bath mat? Some of those these days are pretty well cushioned.

But your idea of the foam puzzle mats might actually be your best option, I like that.

I use these in my basement gym covers 24 sq feet currently $18.98 per pack free sit to store shipping

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym-6-Piece-Puzzle-Mat/21672523#Item+Description


Another option is to hit a rug store and get a remnant and some padding that will fit your work out space.

The only space in my home that I can turn into a home gym of sorts would be my basement, complete with a concrete floor. I am about to start up Insanity again, which many of you know has a lot of jumping. I have knees that randomly swell up and get sore easily and I am concerned about the concrete. Anyone know of a way around this besides buying those 2' x 2' foam puzzle piece looking squares? They are super expensive ($20 for four squares). Would a large rug help maybe?

forget the concrete. find a different workout. insanity is incredibly tough on knees and *is not a long term solution to fitness*. what's really killing me here is that you have all the warning signs and not only still wish to do it, you want to skimp on the rubber mat.

do something else before you are scheduling an appointment with an ortho.

True? At best that's an opinion. I have a different one. I have been doing Insanity for well over two years, so first I disagree that it is something you can't do over the long term. I'm also a cyclist and I also mix in T25 workouts, but Insanity is the core of my workout strategy and the most beneficial.

Now, as to flooring, I often do Insanity when I travel. Hotel room floors are often concrete covered with carpet and a pad.

They key to impact protection for joints like knees and hips, in my opinion, is three things in this order:

1. Shoes and insoles
2. Correct form
3. Flooring

First get NEW shoes with very good cushioning. I like running shoes that have some cross-training aspects vs. just cross-training shoes that sometimes have little cushioning. Do not use shoes over a year or so old regardless of wear. The cushioning breaks down with age.

Next get the special impact-absorbing insoles at the specialty running shoe store and use them to replace the original cheap foam insoles that come in all shoes. For about $20 you can add a HUGE amount of impact absorption. I always use these.

Then form. Be sure to study the form of jumping exercises. If you land flat-footed you WILL have joint problems. If you land with your knee bent so sharply that it is in front of your big toe, you may have joint problems too. Land softly (Shaun T says this a million times) by flexing your knee and foot into the landing. Land with the ball of the foot, then roll down onto the rest of the foot. Watch how any agile animal like a cat lands from a jump. Shaun T himself has said he likes to do Insanity with NO shoes. I DO NOT recommend this but it makes the point that you can control impact without shoes.

If you do the above, you can work out on any surface in my opinion.

And don't for a moment think that some weight lifting will do what Insanity does.

Of course this is general advice, and you have a specific situation. I understand that some people may be so overweight and sedentary that any kind of jumping is dangerous for them. They should consult their doctors and read the warnings that go with Insanity or any workout. T25 does have a low impact modification shown in the videos, and is overall, much easier on the jumping and intensity aspect than Insanity, in my opinion. You could start with that.

OK, all that said, if I were building a gym on a concrete floor, which I am, I would pad the floor. I'm looking into options like those mentioned above--carpet with pads, rubber gym flooring, wood, etc. I don't think too soft foam, like mats for martial arts, wrestling, etc. are good, since it's easy to trip or twist your ankle.

Hope that helps.

I have commercial rubber flooring with an old area rug over it. I still find that I would like more cushion for certain exercises. But I also don't wear shoes. I'm thinking of looking for some type of large mat that can be used inside or outside, like on my deck. I don't think Insanity on concrete sounds like a good idea. Have you looked around for different workouts?

Yeah, find a different workout that doesn't involve jumping. No point in risking your knees. Those things literally carry and move you around all day.