So I've started Insanity at home and I enjoy the workout but I live in a middle apartment and about 15 minutes into the workouts I get banging from the floor, I'm assuming it's from the neighbors downstairs wanting me to stop. I don't know what to do though, because I workout on an exercise mat on top of an area rug on top of carpet and I even do the workouts barefooted trying to keep the noise down. My neighbor downstairs also has a dog that howls every night at 2am... so I don't know if I should just keep on going under the justification of "well, they get what they deserve" or what. I don't know what I could possibly do to make the workouts quieter, but I really enjoy them and I don't think I could commit as well with other workouts. It just bums me out that I go through the mental push to finally get off my butt only to get the KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK telling me to stop.
Could you go downstairs and ask them what would be a good hour for you to do it? Explain what you're doing could help because they probably just think your letting kids run around or jumping up and down just because lol
In my opinion noise from neighbors is just something that a person has to deal with when living in an apartment. Like you said, their dog barks at an inconvenient time - but you don't expect them to get rid of their dog right? You're already doing what you can to soften the noise (I assume you're also trying to land softly and not just coming down with a big thud), and if you're not working out at an indecent hour I say just keep going.
I sometimes feel bad for my downstairs neighbors, but I'm only doing it for at most an hour a day in the middle of the afternoon. I've had to deal with worse noise for a longer amount of time from maintenance work outside, etc. It's really not the end of the world.
jillnicole03's suggestion of going down and talking to them is a good idea, so you can explain what the noise is and ask what the best time of day would be. But regardless I think you have a right to exercise.
Apartment noise is just ... something you have to live with. I'm in an apartment, too. So I know what it's like.
I have a treadmill, but I make sure that I use it only after 7AM and end before 10PM. I also do yoga which is a quiet activity.
Keep doing your workouts. Definitely.
Talking to them briefly is not a bad idea. Just a quick "Hi, I'm your neighbor from upstairs. I'm doing a workout routine these days that lasts about 30 minutes. (Or however long) I've got a lot of matting down on the ground to minimize the sound, but obviously it won't stop everything. I try to make sure that I'm doing the routine during the daytime, but if you hear some noise I just wanted to let you know it won't last longer than those 30 minutes (or however long it actually will last)."
Be polite, smile, and then go on your merry way!
I've heard that most people are much more accepting of a noise if they know what it is and how long it's going to last. I know I would be.
I'm of the opinion that some apartment noise is unavoidable but when you live in an apartment you do your best to minimize your noise. Other people don't have to put up with my tv, for example, just because I like it loud.
I think going and letting them know that you'll be exercising regularly but you're happy to use a mat on a rug, skip the shoes, and do it at a time that works for all of you should solve it. If you're willing to do all that and they still complain, providing you're not jumping up and down for 90 minutes at six am or midnight, then oh well. They'll get over it.
You could also feel free to ask them if everything is ok with their dog, you notice it sounds quite em, distressed, in the wee small hours. That should remind them that you're not the only one making a little noise.
i have the same problem. i do zumba in my room and the downstairs people always bang on the floor. There is a carpet which makes zumba hard enough and i almost hurt myself trying to do it barefoot. i actually figured out when they were home and when they weren't (between 11 and 4). if they are home during that time then i just say forget them. if they have a real problem they can come up and say something. i think it is just something that you have to forget about and do your thing. i actually stopped for awhile because of it and i am trying to get back to it.
Ouch, you got the knocks. I also have downstairs neighbors. They're really nice, but they can be loud (2 adults and 2 teens living in a 2 BR apt...eesh). Nothing has happened to me while working out, but when my fiance was the other day, the guy came up and knocked and asked him to stop, because his wife had a migraine. Which I totally understand, because I get migraines and they suck! But now I'm all self conscious whenever I work out, and I end up doing moves wrong because I don't want to land heavily on the floor. Basically, I just try to work out when they might not be down there, and try to land as softly as possible. I think that, if you went down and asked when the best time would be, they might be more understanding. I also had a crying baby next door for some time, which sucked! I just try to sound proof the apartment as much as possible. Hope you've gotten things worked out!
If you're not doing it in the middle of the night, and there's no way to make it quieter, then you've pretty much done your due diligence imo. Wear some headphones until they give up knocking on their ceiling.
Apartment Noise
