5 Tips for Jumping Exercises in an Apartment

1. Invest in a padded kitchen mat

You'll be surprised how much these actually muffles the noise. Beyond that, you now have something to put by your sink to keep your knees from aching while doing dishes (I love finding dual purposes for purchases!) You can get these in a variety of prices and quality. Low end, you're looking at about $20 at costco. And they can go up to about $120 from Wellness Mats. I had no idea kitchen mats could be so expensive..but I suppose the better the technology the higher the price. You can also just layer up some standard yoga mats, but that could get annoying to store.   

2. Focus on your form

If you're doing jumping or walking exercises and you're landing very loudly, you'd actually benefit from working on your form. Landing hard will have a huge impact on your ankles, knees and back. If you focus on landing softly, you'll actually engage your core and save your body unnecessary stress. This may make the exercise more time consuming and you may not get as many reps in at first, but it's well worth it in the long run. And as you get better at your landings, you'll be able to pick up the pace!    

3. Jump in your Doorway

This sounds strange, but it works. Think of areas in your apartment where you know the floor is going to be reinforced. Places like doorways and bathrooms are usually great for this. It does require a bit of creativity and probably some shuffling around as you exercise, but once you figure out a space that works for you it's pretty easy. Note: If you have a balcony and weather permits - use your balcony! [caption id="attachment_46028" align="alignnone" width="560"] Not QUITE the same thing...but you get the idea[/caption]  

4. Use Common Areas

If you're an early riser/night owl with your workouts, this is the best of both worlds. Almost EVERY apartment building has some sort of common area lounge or meeting room - some even have mini-gyms. If you want to get your workout in at a time that's probably less than ideal for your neighbours, head down to these areas (which are usually on the first floor anyways) and take advantage of the open space. They'll also probably be deserted at these times, so you won't have to worry about being that crazy person doing squats in the conference room.  

5. Talk to your neighbours

Chances are, you'll be living next to, above and below each other for quite some time. One awkward conversation is way better than silent hatred. Talk to them about the times you're most likely to workout and for how long - and see if they have a problem with it. Since they know they have their own quirks and needs that may inconvenience others, the fact that you took the time to ask them will make them more likely to work out a compromise. This will also keep you on a tighter schedule, as you know you only have certain windows to work with.