A Guide To Exercising Quitely In An Upstairs Flat

Gyms are inherently loud. The same can go for your home gym, as modest as it may be. This might be especially concerning if you live in an upstairs apartment or your home has thin walls that tell on you.

Some of the primary sources of noise when working out are from the equipment you're using, like dropping weights, especially if they're cast iron instead of bumper plates, which can also be loud but are comparatively quieter.

Secondly, there's you and your stomping, skipping, jumping while exercising. A quieter home workout space may not have been something that you thought to consider before, but circumstances have made it a concern for many who turned home into a mini gym area. But home workout spaces are nothing new, and neither is the predicament of the "loud" upstairs apartment dweller. Thankfully there are plenty of tips and tricks that you can apply to your workout to make it less noisy for people living around you.

Making Low Impact Substitutions

The common misconception with exercising is that low impact also means low effort, and that's not necessarily the case. The key to making your home workout quieter is to modify your exercise in such a way that you're still getting a maximum payoff.

Many classes give an advanced workout and a low impact one that would well serve upstairs apartment dwellers who don't want to disturb the neighbors.

"If you're doing a squat hop, maybe you're staying in a low squat-plie position and tapping your foot side to side. These moves are still going to get your heart rate up, and you'll feel the burn in your muscles."

Lindsey Clayton, C.P.T., senior instructor at Barry's in New York City, tells "Self."

Reconsider How Your Do Cardio

When most of us think of cardio workouts, it includes running or jumping and other noisy activities. Still, as Nick Mitchell, the founder, and CEO of Ultimate Performance, suggests to "The Guardian," cardiovascular exercise is anything that gets your heart rate up.

Mitchell goes on to point out that this can include "squats, lunges, and pushups," which are not only quieter but they're more gentle and safer for your joints than, say, jogging.

Modify Your Space

Consider making your space more noise reductive by adding gym flooring. This adds a layer of squishiness that, in addition to some other reconsidered habit like gently putting weights down, can make your space significantly less loud.

Also, think of adding rubber underneath your equipment so it doesn't clank or roll as much, reducing the noise it creates.

Alternative Exercises

While you shouldn't switch to an exercise you don't enjoy because of noise, think of trying quieter exercises like pilates or yoga. This might help you get fewer complaints from neighbors, and you might find that you enjoy it if it's something you haven't already tried at home.