need some ideas for indoor exercise

February 26, 2009 6:31 AM

I'm looking for advice on getting aerobic exercise indoors..

I'm trying to figure out what I can do for (fairly strenuous) aerobic exercise indoors.

Jogging in place is strenuous enough, but I've tried it and it puts far too much strain on my joints. Is there a method of jogging in place that doesn't put as much strain on my feet?

Alternatively, is there another exercise that is as strenuous, but with less risk of long-term strain?

Due to my living situation (renting a short-term furnished apartment) I can't buy anything bulky like an exercise bike. I could buy weights or other small things, though.

I've also tried the Wii Fit, and once I got used to the aerobic exerices, I found none of them to be strenuous enough except... jogging in place.

posted by helios to health & fitness (29 comments total)

I've been trying about 30 minutes of Wii boxing (part of Wii sport) every morning and I get a pretty good workout on that. Take it slowly though, if your upper body isn't in the best of shape it can leave you pretty sore the next day. The boxing training exercises can be pretty aerobic as well.
posted by Toekneesan at 6:46 AM on February 26

Jumping jacks, punch the dude in the mirror, jump rope, fucking.
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 6:53 AM on February 26

My wife used to jog on a mini-trampoline and it worked well for her.
posted by davcoo at 6:53 AM on February 26

I was just coming here to say using a trampoline. Those small ones aren't very bulky. And it's easier on the joints. (Although I think it might make noise for people who live below you).
posted by bluefly at 6:58 AM on February 26

Another vote for a mini-trampoline, which is easier on the joints in my experience and allows for fun improvisation. I also get a good workout by dancing strenuously to energetic music. Bollywood and bhangra do it for me, and the fact that I'm moving all over the place in many different ways lessens the repetitive strain on joints. A very intense workout can also be had by running up and down stairs, though that might seem odd to neighbors.
posted by PatoPata at 7:19 AM on February 26

My wife and I recently started the Kettleworx program (we thought it looked fun). The cardio workouts leave me totally annihilated, and I'm a distance runner. The Core and Resistance workouts aren't nearly as rigorous, but still leave us feeling exercised.

We did find that it was cheapest to buy just DVDs from kettleworx and then get our kettlebells from a local sporting goods store.

If you really, really want more information, my wife's actually blogging about the whole kettlebell ball o' wax.
posted by COBRA! at 7:32 AM on February 26 [2 favorites]

I'm in a similar situation and I've been seriously considering a rowing machine. They take up very little space (many can slide under a bed after you're done or lean up against a wall in a closet), there is NO joint impact, and it can be very aerobic.

You can get one one line for anywhere from a couple hundred to a few thousand bucks. It seems like you can get a decent one for maybe $300 to $800. Check this out.

http://www.rowingmachines.com/
posted by Lord Fancy Pants at 7:33 AM on February 26 [1 favorite]

You can buy a step and put your WiiFit balance board on top of it to increase the difficulty level (for the aerobic stuff - I wouldn't do yoga up there). It's still stress on your joints but you can control the level of impact better than when you jog in place. I've got one like this that lets you adjust it to increase the workout level.
posted by macfly at 7:35 AM on February 26

I just got a kettlebell and it's the awesomest shit. If you buy two you can do shit like this. The movement is similar to jumping repeatedly but without impact. Here's another video. Makes no noise whatsoever, is easy to put away, and allows lots of variations.
posted by creasy boy at 7:39 AM on February 26

I'd buy this book:
http://www.rosstraining.com/products.html

"Never Gymless"

Ignore the cheesy website. The guy seems to know his stuff. I've been doing it for a while and getting a lot out of it. He'll show you how to knock yourself out without any equipment in 20 or 30 minutes. It's pretty awesome. And very cheap. Currently I'm working with a yoga mat, medicine ball, jump rope, exercise ball and an ab wheel. Total expenditure well under $100. I'd like to get some sort of a pull up bar.

Also, look up "100 burpee challenge". That's totally free.
posted by sully75 at 7:41 AM on February 26

Kettlebells will make you cry like a little girl, especially if you get the right weight.
I'm doing Pavel's "Russian Kettlebell Challenge" and holy crap.
OW.
That and I hate that he calls me "Comrade" all the time.
I am not your comrade when you're making do all this painful shit.
posted by willmize at 7:55 AM on February 26

If you already have a bicycle, an indoor trainer might work well for you.
posted by box at 8:04 AM on February 26

I highly recommend the Biggest Loser workout videos. Trainer Jillian Michaels does some great videos on her own, as well. I used to alternate between them for ~6 months when I didn't have access to a gym. The workouts can be done in a surprisingly small space and require relatively minimal equipment. I have Wii Fit as well now, and IMO the Biggest Loser/JM workouts allow you to push yourself far more. If you have Netflix you can probably still try out the Jillian Michaels workouts using the "Watch Now" feature, which is how I discovered they were great.
posted by xiaolongbao at 8:09 AM on February 26

30 Day Shred. Buy it now, it's cheap, you won't be disappointed! It can be done in a very small area. The only caveat I would give is that if you live upstairs it might be a problem.
posted by peep at 8:18 AM on February 26

The most strenuous exercise, whether it be weight training or cardio, is my plyometics workout. It will kick your ass and figures prominently in many workout programs. It is not low impact, but can very easily be modified for your joints.
posted by munchingzombie at 9:13 AM on February 26

Since you have a Wii, I recommend My Fitness Coach. I'd describe it as an interactive workout DVD. It has lots of different workouts and customization, and you can establish your fitness level and work your way up. You can also tell it how much time you have to work out and what you want to focus on (cardio, upper/lower body, flexibility, etc.). I've only used my copy a couple of times, but I enjoyed it.
posted by LeiaS at 9:22 AM on February 26 [1 favorite]

Kettlebells will crush you, as has been mentioned. It's a low impact thing, but start small on the weights to build the right muscles you need not to stress out your joints.
posted by zpousman at 9:37 AM on February 26

Also you mention joint strain a lot in your question. Why is that? Do you have joint issues? Or are you just concerned about something in the future? Most workouts are going to put some stress on your joints. Some more than others but it is hard to avoid. One of the reasons I do work out is to protect my joints.

Anyway I have a few suggestions.

I saw one mention of burpees on here and they will without a doubt kick your ever loving butt. However they do tend to cause a commotion, so be aware of anything that may shake in the room as you are doing them.

Jumping rope. If you have the ceiling height and good flooring, it can be done, and it is a fantastic workout. But I would really recommend finding a piece of pavement outside instead.

Tabata training. Is basically 20 seconds of work 10 seconds of rest for I think 16 minutes or so. You usually keep pace with a song. Here is an example workout:
http://crossfitflagstaff.typepad.com/home/2008/01/tabata-somethin.html. It may not look like cardio, but trust me, it is.

Just some suggestions. Good luck
posted by WickedPissah at 9:59 AM on February 26

A couple of people have mentioned Kettlebells, and I just saw a blog post yesterday about it, with a short video demo. Looks interesting, and the tester said she was totally exhausted at the end!
posted by sararah at 10:26 AM on February 26

If you already have a bike, check craig's list for a bike trainer (may run $50 to $100). They're reasonably compact and you can just drop your bike into it in front of the TV for an instant stationary bike workout.
posted by turbodog at 10:30 AM on February 26

This will get you a lot of both aerobic AND resistance benefit.
posted by Danf at 10:35 AM on February 26

Never tried it, but the Shovel Glove workout has plenty of DIY internet street cred.
posted by GPF at 11:11 AM on February 26

Reverse the problem: buy a Polar strap and watch (the cheapest ones are fine) and spend a week trying a few different things to see what is most effective for you. Personally, I've found (to my astonishment) that jumping rope and shadowboxing in alternation do way more for me in terms of getting my heart rate up and calories burning than running in place does, but everyone is different.

I am totally psyched to try kettlebells after reading this thread.
posted by Shepherd at 11:24 AM on February 26

Bodyweight exercises all the way, son.
posted by alexwoods at 12:01 PM on February 26 [1 favorite]

Ditto what alexwoods posted. Bodyweight exercises done at high intensity will give you an incredible workout.

Also as someone who has tried shovel glove, it is good in theory but just felt really really awkward to me. I think it would be a lot better if you did it out side so you can at least let the sledge hammer hit the ground.
posted by WickedPissah at 12:08 PM on February 26

Dance Dance Revolution is what I do for higher energy aerobics than Wii Fit can give me. There's at least one DDR game for the Wii. (I can't recommend the Wii version specifically, as I haven't tried it; I play it on a PS2, there are at least six DDR games to choose from there.)
posted by tomboko at 1:12 PM on February 26

Bodyweight exercises definitely. And jump rope. You don't actually need much height at all to jump rope. You shouldn't be jumping high and the rope should just clear your head.

Someone above linked to a crossfit blog. Check out this great video resource from another crossfit gym. Here's the jump rope how-to and kettle bell.

Anytime things start to get stale for me at the gym, I watch these videos again. Lots of info.
posted by anthropoid at 1:26 PM on February 26

I'll second the stairs ... and the strange looks.

I'm renting in a 10-story building and am also in a furnished apartment, without access to special equipment. The building has thin walls (the classic east european bloc scenario) and pretty much anything I do is sure to reverberate to my downstairs neighbours. So I've taken to climbing the stairs in my building for 30-45 minutes most days, schedule allowing. People definitely see me as the oddball, but then they kind of did already, and some of them seem to see it as endearing (my upstairs neighbour cheers me on when she sees me). I also don't create much disturbance as pretty much everyone in this building takes the lift, so I generally only bump into them when they're taking out the trash or going from the lift to their door. YMMV.
posted by the luke parker fiasco at 9:02 AM on February 27

I was just going to recommend Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred video and someone beat me to it! Seriously, for a $5 DVD it's amazing. I totally recommend it.
posted by geekchic at 9:51 AM on February 27