Fitness is important, but that’s no excuse for bad manners.
If there’s one thing that absolutely infuriates me, it’s grunting and stomping while I’m trying to focus on something, to say nothing of the dead of night when I’m trying to sleep. Fitness can be a very involved process, and when you’re really into it, it can be tempting to throw caution to the wind and let loose a primal roar. Unfortunately, civilized society tends to frown on such things. If you live in an apartment building, especially an older one, chances are good your neighbors are being exposed to any stomping or shouting you create while exercising, and that’s just not cool.
As invigorating as jumping all over the place is, it’s more than possible to work up a good sweat without shaking the house to pieces. For example, let’s look at the traditional jumping jack. Rapid-fire action, great for increasing your heart rate. But if you do them on a hard floor, you’ll sound like a pair of castanets. Instead of stomping the floor with your whole foot, channel your inner ninja and land swiftly and silently on the balls of your feet. The extra emphasis on technique will actually make them a little more challenging.
Let’s also consider the clapping push-up. It’s a classic coolguy move, pushing yourself up so forcefully that you have an instant to clap your hands. Thing is, it’s only cool when you see it. It’s a lot less cool when you have to hear it. In order to prevent the loud “whump” of your arms landing on the floor, modify your form; instead of being on your feet, get on your knees. Move downward into the push-up slowly, keeping most of the tension in your core. At the bottom, push yourself back up really hard. It sounds easy, but you’re still getting a lot of tension going in your mid- and upper-bodies, and since you’re on your knees, you won’t come down as hard, so it’s not as loud.
When you have to share a living space with other people, you need to be considerate of them. As dorky as this sounds, manners are a muscle just like your physical ones. I’d say it says more about you if you can get a proper workout going without anyone being able to tell.
