Best Exercises for Cardio in Your Apartment

5 Best Cardio Apartment Exercises

Sometimes going outside to workout at your favorite gym or taking a jog on your normal route just isn’t in the cards. The weather is crappy or you’ve got to stay home for the kids or fur babies, but you’re just dying for a workout that gets your heart pumping and your body moving. If you’re like us, and live in the bay area, there’s a pretty high chance you also live in an apartment building or have downstairs neighbors.

That makes jumping jacks, running in place, and burpees a no-no. We mean, unless you’re already on bad terms with your neighbors or they deserve a little torment, be our guest and jumping jack to your heart’s content. We don’t know your living situation, and we don’t judge.

But if you do like your neighbors and want to stay on good terms with them, here are five cardio exercises you can do at home without annoying your neighbors:

1. Mountain Climbers
2. High Knees
3. Pulsing Squats
4. Plank Walkouts
5. Walking Lunges

*For an added challenge or some extra motivation, queue up some fast paced music (our recommendation is always pop or house) and try to match the beat of the music with each exercise.

Mountain Climbers

Time to get into plank formation to get those core muscles engaged and your heart rate up.

1. Make sure your arms and hands are shoulder width apart, your back is flat, and your core is engaged.
2. Take your right knee and pull it up to your chest as far as you can go.
3. Return your right leg to its original position and do the same motion with your left leg.

High Knees

Think marching band with this workout. 

1. Stand straight with feet hid width apart.
2. Raise your right knee up toward your chest until it reaches just above your waist.
3. Keep your knee at 90 degree angle, and your core engaged, while also standing tall with your chest out.

Pulsing Squats

Ever thought of squats for cardio? All you have to do is add a little twist to the basic squat.

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. 
2. Lower your hips as if you’re getting ready to sit down in a chair. 
3. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Pushing your heels into the ground, push yourself back up, stopping when you’re a quarter of the way from standing position.
5. Then squat back down so your thighs are parallel to the floor again.
6. That’s a pulse, now go back to standing position and do another one to get your blood pumping.

Plank Walk Outs

We know everybody loves planks, but you’ll especially love plank walkouts.

1. Start off by getting into a plank position. 
2. Make sure your wrists are in line with your shoulders and not too far forward.
3. Walk your arms back toward your feet until you’re in a forward fold position.
4. Stand up, roll your shoulders back.
5. Go back into the forward fold position and walk your hands forward until you’re in plank position again. 

Walking Lunges

If you have a long hallway in your home these are a great way to get your cardio in.

1. Stand straight with feet shoulder width apart.
2. Step forward with your right leg, keeping your hands on your hips or to your side.
3. Bend your right knee so that your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
4. Keeping your right leg in place, move your left foot forward and repeat the movement, so now you’re “walking” forward.

Living in an apartment can make it hard to get your cardio indoors. Here are the best cardio exercises you can do without disturbing your neighbors.