Looking to get fit, but worried because your apartment can barely fit your belongings? Don’t let a studio stop you from reaching your fitness goals. Exercising in a small apartment can be difficult, cumbersome, and noisy, especially if you aren’t familiar with a variety of workouts and techniques. If you have a luxury apartment, space probably isn’t an issue, but if you’re like the rest of us, the moves below should help.
- Overhead Squats
You want to pump up your muscles without pumping up your neighbor’s heart rate, so a quiet exercise like squats works wonders. Form is imperative here, so for proper form, keep your feet shoulder width apart. Raise your hands overhead or hold a rolled up towel slightly wider than shoulder-width. Squat down as far as you can, and make sure your knees do not extend past your toes.
- Planks
It doesn’t get much quieter than this body weight abdominal exercise (unless you collapse to the floor once you’re exhausted, like I often do). To do a standard plank, place your hands under the shoulders, slightly wider than shoulder width. Stabilize your body by grounding your toes to the floor. Keep your head in line with your back. Maintain this position for as long as you can.
- Mountain Climbers
If you’re looking to do cardio during the winter months where jogging isn’t an option, but you don’t want to drag yourself to the gym, mountain climbers are a great choice. Start off in a pushup position, then move one leg forward like you’re climbing stairs. Continue to do this while alternating legs for 30-60 seconds and then repeat after resting.
- Push Ups
If you don’t go to a gym, bodyweight exercises should be your bread-and-butter. These can get you from beginner to intermediate and beyond, and they don’t cost a thing.
To do a proper pushup, start with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Keep your body straight and feet roughly shoulder width apart. Keep your elbows close to your body and let your chest touch the floor, then explode upward until you’re back at your starting position.
- Tricep Dip
Dips are another spectacular bodyweight exercise that you can do. Start by sitting on the floor and bend your knees with your hands behind you and pointed toward your body. Lift your hips slowly off the floor and extend your arms through the elbows.