Lifestyle

6 Quiet Cardio Apartment Workouts

by Georgina Berbari
Pixabay

Whether you're living that college dorm room lifestyle, or you're cozying up in a three-bedroom apartment in a cramped city, no one wants to be known as the "noisy neighbor." And no, I'm not talking about your roommate's late-night booty call that the paper thin walls make far too explicit. (God bless noise-canceling headphones, amirite?) Even armed with a list of workouts you can do in your apartment, no one wants to be the one causing a huge commotion right above the neighbors' homes.

On those late nights when you're clocking extra office hours that make you miss your SoulCycle sesh, it's frustrating to feel like you can't make time for the stress release you so desperately want. On those days (and on the ones where you just don't have it in you to hit the gym or make a class), it forces you take your cardio circuit to your small studio space. Instead of dreading the inevitable angry knock from your less-than-pleased elderly neighbor after your fifth burpee, try these cardio moves you can do quietly in your apartment without your neighbors hating your forever on for size.

No one will know you're home — that is, of course, unless you're the one getting that booty call -- then I can't help you, fam.

Curtsy Lunges

Does anyone else pretend they're in The Princess Diaries when they're curtsying it up in this lunge variation?

Nah, just me? OK.

Anyway, this killer cardio-infused lunge targets your glute medius (the muscle that helps pull your legs away from the midline of your body), while strengthening your abductors and adductors — all without making a single sound!

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are basically like running planks -- enticing, I know.

But even though they technically involve running, your neighbor won't be able to hear a thing -- that is, if you really engage your core and stay light on your feet.

All that ab engagement is killer for gaining optimal core control, and ideal for being the best neighbor out there.

Bear Crawl

You probably thought you left crawling way behind you when, well... You turned 1 year old.

But incorporating it back into your life with the bear crawl will work your shoulders, arms, and glutes to the max -- and you'll wonder why you ever started walking in the first place.

OK, kidding -- but you're not going to want to skip out on this apartment friendly cardio move.

Book Push

The book push is basically exactly like the plate push, but using a stack of your dusty old biology textbooks.

Silently push the stack across your apartment to squeeze some cardio in, please your neighbors, and finally put your aggressively expensive college books to use.

Lunge To Front Kick

Lunges are where it's at, especially when you don't have access to a gym and really want to feel the booty burn.

Try this cardio-infused variation with a quiet and controlled kick.

Emphasis on "quiet and controlled," though, so you don't get kicked out of your building by an unhappy neighbor, you feel me?

Use The Stairs!

Finally, if you have access to a stairwell, take your sweat sesh there -- free StairMaster, FTW. Or better yet, if your building has laundry, move up your laundry day and turn it into an activity that gets your heart racing and your whites clean. Plus, these stair exercises will make you totally forget that you had to miss your fav SoulCycle class.

Just make sure you don't do sprints up them -- your downstairs neighbors will thank you when they don't have to experience a mini stampede.