Well, now what?

[AdminAssistant]

As has been mentioned, I am...errr...there's more to love, mmkay? :D I'm about 60 lbs over what my BMI tells me I should be (although BMI isn't the best indicator - I know). My main obstacles are the fact that I love food, and not particularly healthy food, and that I'm so overweight that gyms, exercise classes, anything public, just terrifies me. Can't do it.

So, I hear about a workout DVD. Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred. (She's one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser). I hear good things about it, pop on over to Best Buy, and pick it up. I've tried it a few times - and it's really awesome. It's hard, I can't even do everything, but I definitely feel it. I like it. I almost look forward to it. It's really intense - a warm-up, 3 cycles (3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, 1 minute abs), then a brief cool down. 27 minutes total. The workout includes a lot of jumping jacks, "butt kicks" (running in place while trying to kick yourself in the butt), and jump rope - without the rope. A lot of jumping. Herein lies the problem.

I'm on the second floor of my four-plex. Today, there was a note from my downstairs neighbor, "Please stop jumping on my ceiling so early in the morning. It's really loud.". DAMN. I didn't realize how bad the sound was transferring. So, now, I'm stuck. I don't want to stop exercising - and the morning is the best time. (Exercise is most effective then, and I have to shower after I do the tape). This is the best, most effective/efficient option for me - but I don't want to be a sucky neighbor.

GAAAAHHHH!!!!

[KiaKat]

Can you put something padded down? Something like a couple layers of foam (carpet padding?) and a yoga mat over top?

[Giggle Goose]

I feel your pain, AA! When I lived on a second floor I didn't want to do my exercise for that exact same reason. Which sucks, because I had a lot of good tapes that kept me in great shape!

I moved back into my Mom's and now I'm creating an exercise area in our unused garage. So unless you want to move back home, I don't really know what to tell you. :(

It wasn't that hard to get over my fear of joining a gym, though. I'm there to exercise, not to win a beauty pageant. :shrug:

[tollbaby]

Is there another room in the apartment where you could do your exercise? perhaps if you were further from their bedroom, they wouldn't object.

[blas]

I FEEL FOR YOU!

I have really, really, really, really, really (did I say really?) squeaky floor boards in my livingroom. It's hard to find a spot that doesn't squeek when you step on it.

I do all my exercises except for the Gazelle-ing in the livingroom, so I can watch tv while I do it.

That damn old lady downstairs has a cow over it. I try so hard to stick to the spots where it doesn't squeak...other times I've given up and just went into my room.

I can't wait...one more month, and she's going back down south for the winter....

The only good thing about last winter...no old lady downstairs. For reasons other than the most obvious, I could exercise in the livingroom all I wanted and squeak away and nothing would happen from downstairs. :)

And yes, she's become the freak old person type neighbor. Last night my flat iron fell off of the bathroom counter onto the floor right before I went to work (around 10:10). I picked it up and went to put it away and I felt something smacking my floor (probably a broom).

[AdminAssistant]

It's in my living room, which I assume is their living room (all of these apartments are set up the same. I have new carpet and padding - which is why I didn't think it would be a problem.

And this is someone around my age, and I think she's a student at the same university.

[KiaKat]

One of the methods dancers use to reduce the amount of noise from jumps is to roll from the heel of the foot to the ball of the foot, push off, and then reverse the process when landing. Make sure to let your knees and thighs take most of the kinetic energy, and it should reduce the 'thud.' Added benefit is that because you're redistributing the energy, it works different muscles, and more muscle is a good thing when you're trying to lose weight.

[ArcticChicken]

If you're interested in a different video, I'd recommend Yoga Booty Ballet. That one really kicks my ass when I remember to do it.

[Jester]

Another idea, since you have probably learned what the video is there to teach you, is to take the exercise, or at least the jumping part, outside, where all you will be disturbing is lawn insects, etc. Just a thought.

[AdminAssistant]

Well, I have found a partial solution - I got a yoga DVD! No jumping with that - just the occasional thud from me falling out of 'powerful lotus blossom' pose. I just did it - it's amazing. A good 50 minutes of calm, relaxing stretching, a heavy emphasis on breathing. I've done yoga before, and it just feels so good. Right now, all I'm thinking is "so THAT's where my shoulders are supposed to be". :p It's "Yoga for Beginners" by Element.

Tomorrow I'm trying the newest Dancing with the Stars one. :D

[ArcticChicken]

I hate yoga videos. I loved the one yoga class I went to, but I hate the videos. Yoga is one of the things I really want to work with an instructor on.