Shh! Quiet exercises for an apartment-friendly workout

To you, it’s a killer cardio workout. To your downstairs neighbors, it’s a stampeding herd of elephants. Working out at home can be a minefield when you live in an apartment.

So how do you get your apartment workout in when there’s barely enough space to swing a cat (let alone a kettlebell) and avoid the wrath of everyone in your building? And if quiet workouts are possible, do they still get results?

The answer is YES, you can get an effective workout at home, even in an apartment. If the only private space you have is the bedroom, you can get a bedroom workout in, too.

It’s all about opting for the right style of training – one that will spike your heart rate and challenge your muscles without making a whole lot of noise. Centr has the workouts you need to keep the results coming while, more importantly, keeping your neighbors happy.

Start your free trial at Centr.com and get access to a wide variety of low-impact workouts and programs today.

We won’t claim this is an easy apartment workout, but we will show you how to make working out in your apartment easy!

What are apartment-friendly workouts?

Just like you have an ‘inside voice’, there are ‘inside exercises’ you can use to tailor a workout to smaller surroundings.

An at-home apartment workout should feature moves you can do in a small space (because you don’t want to put a foot through your TV). It should also be noise-free, so as not to upset the downstairs or next-door neighbors, which means no jumping. Training without equipment also removes the risk of dumbbells clanging to the floor or kettlebells putting a dent in the wall.

The good news is, there are still plenty of workouts and training styles that fit into the ‘apartment exercises’ category. Why not try a functional cardio workout, a Pilates class or any of our other low-impact workouts?

Or you can read on to get moving with a Bodyweight HILIT workout from Centr expert Alexz Parvi.

Alexz’s apartment workout: quiet & effective!

Our HILIT expert Alexz may be a loud human, but she’s the queen of quiet workouts – always here with bounce-free options for those who live on the second floor or above!

HILIT stands for high-intensity low-impact training, which Alexz describes as “really similar to HIIT, but without so much bouncing”. Not only is HILIT accessible to everyone and perfect for apartments, it delivers results. Here’s what you can expect:

• increased heart rate to burn fat and build cardio fitness

• get a full-body burn to tone and define

• strengthen and align your posterior chain

Hit play on the workout video and Alexz will coach you through it. We’ve also got form tips to help you nail these quiet exercises below. Shhh!

Good technique will help you get even better results with this workout, so let’s talk through the exercises.

How to do a plank walkout

• Stand tall and squeeze your glutes together.

• Bend at the knees to drop your hands on the floor in front of your feet, then walk your hands forward until you are in plank position.

• Walk your hands back toward your feet and bend at the knees to return to standing.

How to do C-shape arm extensions

• Sit with your feet on the floor, knees bent and legs hip-distance apart.

• Lean back to create a ‘C’ shape with your spine, contracting your ab muscles.

• Inhale as you reach your arms up above your head, then exhale as you lower your arms to reach for your knees. Continue to raise and lower your arms.

How to do a crunch punch

• Lay down with your feet on the floor and knees bent.

• Engage your core and bring your fists together above your chest.

• As you rise up into a crunch, throw a punch with each hand and exhale deeply, then lower your torso back down.

• Keep your core tight and control your breath as you move.

How to do low-impact scissor jacks

• Stand tall, feet close together.

• Step your left foot back, swinging your right arm forward at the same time, then return to standing.

• Step your right foot back, swinging your left arm forward at the same time. Continue alternating with as much pace as you can.

How to do low-impact cross jacks

• Begin standing with your feet together. Step out to the left, return to center, then step out to the right – extending your arms out into a T shape with each step.

• Continue alternating sides.

• You may slightly bend your knee as you step out, performing a slight side lunge.

How to do a walking lateral squat (low-impact alternative to squat jump + heel click)

• With your feet shoulder-width apart, chest up and core engaged, drop down into a half-squat.

• Maintaining the squat position, step out to the left, then the right, tapping your heels together at each side.

How to do a plank pushback

• Set up in plank position.

• Keeping your core tight, press your palms into the mat and push your butt back, then return to plank position.

• Your arms should be fully extended when you push back, but not locked out, so you can rock back and forth fluidly.

How to do a full sit-up + knee extension

• Sit on the floor in an L-shape, legs fully extended and heels pressing onto the floor.

• Reach your arms above your head, then use your engaged ab muscles to curl back – lowering your back and shoulders onto the floor.

• Again using your ab muscles, perform a sit up – raising your torso off the floor to reach for your toes.

How to do a C-shape shoulder press

• Sit with your feet on the floor, knees bent and legs hip-distance apart.

• Lean back to create a ‘C’ shape with your spine.

• Raise your arms up with your elbows bent, as if you’re doing a shoulder press.

• Push those imaginary weights up above your head, then back down again so your elbows dip just below shoulder height.

• Keep pushing while keeping your core tight.

How to do a sit-up toe touch

• Lay on your back with legs bent and feet on the floor, and reach your arms back above your head.

• Curl from your abs to sit up, and as your torso approaches your thighs, lift your left foot off the floor to grab your foot with your outstretched hands.

• Lower your foot and use your abs to curl your back onto the floor again.

• Curl to sit up, then lift your right foot to grab it with your hands. Continue, alternating feet with each sit-up.

How to do a half roll back

• Sit with your feet on the floor, knees bent and legs hip-distance apart, with arms reaching out in front of your torso.

• Lean back to create a ‘C’ shape with your spine.

• With your abs activated, and keeping your feet planted on the mat, roll your torso backward until your middle-back touches the floor – making sure you do not go as far as touching your shoulders to the floor.

• Use your core to sit back up, reaching past your knees.

You’ll find more low-impact and apartment-friendly workouts from Alexz and Chris Hemsworth’s team of experts at Centr.com.