Alternatives for a treadmill in an apartment complex?
We moved into a new apartment and were planning to buy a treadmill. But the apartment management denied permission to have treadmill as it may cause disturbance to other tenants and also the apartments are newly constructed.
What other alternatives would you suggest to work at home.
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Most apartment buildings have stairs. I exercise on 22 floors of stairs at my building.
It depends on the reason that management denied the permission. Is it noise from running on a treadmill? A solution to that could be to get an elliptical trainer or something similar.
I was looking for something more effective and interesting than a treadmill and found the Bowflex Max Trainers. They're neither treadmill nor elliptical, but kind of it's own breed of trainers. Apparently they help you burn 2.5 times as many calories as traditional treadmill or elliptical equipment. And, because you don't run or lift your feet of the device, there won't be any noise your neighbors or management can complain about.
I wrote a review on the Bowflex Max Trainers on my blog tomlikesbest.com to share what I found.
Maybe it's something for you.
To sum it up, I found that the Max Trainers are a really good alternative to treadmills. They help you burn much more calories and are better for your joints. Which one you get depends mostly on your budget. The M3 is a good tool, but the M7 is worth the extra money.
Some cardio-based (as opposed to strength-based) alternatives that you can do inside your apartment:
Jump rope
Elliptical machine
Running in place
Jumping jacks
Wii Fitness
Dance Dance Revolution
Just plain dancing
Shadow boxing
Move to an apartment on the ground level, and then get the treadmill
Is running outside an option? Probably not what you were thinking of, but it is cheaper.
If you want a machine, an elliptical might be an option. I would assume the disturbance they're concerned about would come from the footfalls from running on the treadmill, so it might be a more acceptable option to management.
Also, have you checked if the apartment has a gym? Some of the apartments I've been have had a common room with some weights and machines for residents.
You may use a temporary gym flooring mat or an advanced sound proofing mat with shocking absorbing damper pad below the treadmill. This will prevent the footfall noise transmitting to lower floors. Also it is important to use proper pronation and running techniques on tread mill which when done will have automatically low footfall noise. If your footfall noise is more, though sound is prevented from going down the flooring, your knee joints etc are being affected.
There are tons of equipment geared for the home. The answer will depend on your specific program and what your goals are. For example, you can get a pull-up bar, exercise ball, or resistance bands.
If you're set on doing pure cardio, then something like a stationary bike may do the trick. Otherwise, you can look into exercise programs that don't need any equipment at all. The "Insanity" program is a good one that I've done (no equipment needed but you do a lot of jumping which your downstairs neighbor may not appreciate).
How about a rowing machine. Doesn't have the disturbance characteristics of a treadmill. If you are tight on space there are some that can be either folded or stood on end. It's a good cardio option and works a lot of the body.
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