If you live on or above the second floor of an apartment complex, chances are there's someone living below or on top of you. And that means you may not be free to bounce on the floors of your apartment or create any noise or vibrations that will disturb your fellow tenants, especially if you like to work out early in the morning or later at night.

But don't let concerns about disturbing others excuse you from staying fit! You can still get a good workout in your own home. In addition to taking noise reduction measures (that are often required anyway), such as carpeting a good percentage of your living space, take these steps to keep your workout neighbor-friendly:

1. Talk to your neighbors. Let them know you're trying to come up with an exercise that won't cause any disturbances. Find out if your neighbors have standing appointments, jobs, or other commitments that take them out of their home on specific days and at specific times. If you can't schedule your workout when your neighbors are out, there are still ways to minimize or eliminate potential problems.

2. Figure out if there's a spot in your apartment that isn't overhead of your neighbors or if the people above you are bothered by your noisy stationery bike. If you have a private terrace, consider exercising outdoors when the weather cooperates. Remember that the vibration from moving equipment can be as disturbing to neighbors as loud sounds.

3. Use carpet pads underneath rugs on the floor surface where you work out. Carpets without pads don't absorb sounds and vibrations as efficiently. Plus, they can be dangerously slippery.

4. Stick with yoga, mat pilates, calisthenics, stability balls, and isometric exercises at home. Use a yoga mat for floor exercises.

5. Try resistance bands for the same workout and effects you get from free weights without the worry of accidently letting a heavy weight drop loudly on the floor.

6. Use chair exercises to get in some neck, shoulder, back, arm, and leg stretches while sitting in a sturdy chair placed on a carpet.

7. To work up more of a sweat without jumping or running around your apartment, do your arm exercises, leg work such as lunges, and core workouts like crunches, sit-ups, pushups, and planks a little more quickly. Head to an outdoor space—such as a local park—for running, stepping, and exercises like jumping jacks.

8. Be mindful of the volume on your workout music or DVD.

Ben Greenfield reviewed this article.



Sources:

North Dakota State University: "Stretching Toward Better Health. Chair Exercises."
Web. 26 November 2013. http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/stretching/c-exercise.htm

University of California, Riverside. http://www.ucr.edu