HELP! Quiet Cardio?

ohkaity
ohkaity Posts: 18
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I have a bit of a dilemma. I live in a third-floor apartment with nasty downstairs neighbors who, while they love to scream at one another all night, hate the sound of footsteps - particularly my dancing, which I was using for cardio workouts. As fun as it would be to start a war with my neighbors, they do have a point: I'm on an opposite schedule from them, which means I usually wake up around 11am-1pm and go to bed between 4am-6am. I can understand not making noise after 10pm out of courtesy for the neighbors, but I'm starting to find that my workouts are really colored by the fear of making ANY noise at all, at any time. I should also mention that I'm usually barefoot in the interest of keeping things quiet, and as far as big girls go, I am light as hell on my feet - they're just unaware that when you live in a rickety apartment building SOMETIMES you have to deal with other people making noise.

I'm doing regular yoga to improve strength and flexibility, but I am concerned that my weight loss will stall if I'm not doing cardio. Should I confine my cardio to Zumba classes and the gym, or does anyone have any suggestions for me to get my heart rate up without making much noise on the floor?

Replies

  • mallory3411
    mallory3411 Posts: 839 Member
    Depending on where you are there are noise bylaws. In my area it's quiet time before 8am and after 10pm. As long as you are working out between those times you are ok.Part of apartment living is the noise that happens. It's great that you want to be nice but you should also be able to do what you'd like in your home.

    Dancing, etc bare foot wouldn't create too much noise.
  • krnlcsf
    krnlcsf Posts: 310
    maybe dance on a yoga mat to help absorb some of the shock/noise of your footsteps?
  • summalovaable
    summalovaable Posts: 287 Member
    If you have a gym membership why don't you do most of your cardio there? Or try going for walks outside.

    I personally don't work out in my house, so I don't know if I have any "quiet" options. You could always search bodyrock.tv and see if there is anything appealing there.
  • Levedi
    Levedi Posts: 290 Member
    I sympathize - I'm a night owl too and I lived above my own landlord once. He was a very light sleeper.

    Can you do Pilates and exercise ball routines? And take up racquetball at the gym so you don't get stuck doing nothing but treadmill.

    I wouldn't hesitate to ask the neighbors to keep it down when they're screaming at each other. Heck, call the police if you have to.
  • JenniferInNY
    JenniferInNY Posts: 65 Member
    I have a similar issue with my neighbors. I haven't found a perfect solution but here are some of the things I have tried:

    1. Walking work-out videos. Petra Kolber (sp?) has "Walk and Box" videos and other walking videos. Also, look for Leslie Sansone walking videos. These videos usually have only walking (marching in place), and if there are ever occasional jumping bits, I skip them. I make them higher intensity by wearing 2-lb or 5-lb wrist weights and waving my arms around, which ups my heart rate without making my footsteps louder.

    2. Squats and pliés are noiseless, and although most people use them to tone their butt/thighs, if you do enough of them they're definitely cardio.

    3. For your light-footed walking workouts, putting a thick rug down, with a yoga mat on top, really helps.

    4. You can do many/most yoga poses noiselessly (there are some with jumping, but most don't include that). Maybe look for low-impact yoga videos, or design your own yoga routines if you're experienced with yoga?

    5. What about walking up and down the stairs of your building? I know it's a little awkward, but hey...
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    Go for a run
  • JenniferInNY
    JenniferInNY Posts: 65 Member
    Go for a run

    I agree that this can be a great idea. I don't know the original poster's situation, but in case folks are wondering the reason why I don't go for runs more often if because I'm at work/school from about 8 AM - 8 PM. When I am home it's dark outside (and often cold/icy/snowy) and it's not safe to run alone at night in the area where I live. Hence the indoor workouts. I do hit the gym as much as possible, though, and I run outside on weekends during the day. :-) In the spring/summer, it gets light earlier in the morning, and it's not icy, so I'll run outside before work.
  • raevynn
    raevynn Posts: 666 Member
    Are there stairs in the building? why not walk/run up and down the stairs?
  • ctalimenti
    ctalimenti Posts: 865 Member
    I just started doing quiet workouts at work while my patient sleeps. I do crunches, squats, different abdominal floor exercises, thigh exercises, etc. Much of it is reps where you "hold a pose" and my heart rate really gets up there.
  • rharris86dc
    rharris86dc Posts: 635 Member
    I agree with the person who advised you to give it right back to your neighbours about their own noise. If they can scream at each other all night, you can dance in your apartment.

    But also check your lease to find the "quiet hours," so you don't get a call from your landlord because they complained. As long as you are acting reasonably (and dancing in your own apartment is VERY reasonable in my book!), and not during super odd hours, they can b*tch all they want, but in the end they will just have to deal with it.
  • jen546
    jen546 Posts: 1
    I also have people living below me, and I use a stationary bike. It's nearly silent and you make no noise on the floor at all. And you can burn lots of calories in a short amount of time on them!
  • LilBee82
    LilBee82 Posts: 189 Member
    Get a hula hoop!
  • mama_to_1
    mama_to_1 Posts: 45 Member
    weighted hula-hoop? i am thinking about getting one to use (since i have the same problem, apartment living). i do most of my working out at the gym but i would still like something for when i am home and i can't run outside
  • kasmir8199
    kasmir8199 Posts: 507 Member
    Boxing! :)
  • Gt3ch
    Gt3ch Posts: 212 Member
    If you have a bike get rollers or a trainer. You can pedal until you're soaked without making a peep. More space efficient & comfortable than a dedicated exercise bike.

    It's also possible to come up with light strength training/toning routines that are great for cardio without jumping around. I don't know of any DVD's that do it off hand. Probably anything that says "low impact" is worth checking out.
  • nu2012
    nu2012 Posts: 562 Member
    I agree.Squats with punches is a very good workout. And if squats are low enough and punches have enough power,your heartrate goes up.

    What about exercising in another room?
  • bbyfinn
    bbyfinn Posts: 1
    Go to fitnessblender.com then click on "workouts" and search "quiet cardio." You could probably find it just as easy if you search for it on youtube. Their workout is about twenty minutes and it works great for apartments. It's low impact but it will definitely raise your heart rate.
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