A Guide to Working Out In Your Chicago Apartment

Incorporating time to work out is a great way to maintain a healthy body and mental well-being no matter if your goal is to stay fit, build muscle, or lose weight.

However, navigating ways to stick to a workout routine can be especially challenging if you live in an apartment space where you also need to be mindful of your neighbors.

With minimal equipment and low-impact workouts that require little space, you can be on track to strengthening your body and getting your heart rate up. Take a look through this guide to explore the possibilities of effectively exercising in your Chicago apartment. 

Space and Equipment

You don’t need much space to reap the benefits of movement – even the coziest apartments will have room for a quick 30 minute workout. 

You might have to shift a coffee table or roll up part of your rug to make room, but try to find one area of your apartment that you’d like to dedicate as a working-out space. 

As for equipment, you also don’t need a lot to work out in the comfort of your own home:

• A yoga mat is an inexpensive and space-effective investment that will ensure you have a flat and comfortable surface to work out on.
• Resistance bands can make any workout a bit more challenging and are great alternatives to weight machines without breaking the bank.
• A set of small dumbbells helps train your upper body and add resistance to exercises like squats and lunges.

Not only are these three sets of equipment really all you need, their compact sizes also avoid taking up too much storage space in your apartment.

Basic Bodyweight Workouts



Focusing on simple, low-intensity bodyweight workouts is actually an effective way to strength train while getting your sweat on. Standard exercises like push-ups, lunges, and squats are basic moves that will still deliver fabulous results if you do them correctly and consistently. 

In addition, check out these quiet, but effective exercises that will help you work out your full body:

• Planks and Side Planks
• Crunches 
• Sit-ups
• Russian Twists
• Hip Thrusts
• Glute Bridges
• Wall Sits
• Lateral Lunges
• Leg Raises

If you’re new to these moves, pick 3-4 exercises and do 10 of each in 3 rounds – you’ll eventually grow stronger and build from there. 

And whether you’re looking for a killer ab workout or a light full-body workout, you can completely customize your own workout plan from scratch or use YouTube videos to help you gain inspiration. YouTube home workout videos can even teach you how to execute a certain exercise or get ideas on how long you should do each one.

Level Up With Weights

Want to push yourself a little harder without making too much noise in your apartment? 

Consider using a set of dumbbells ranging anywhere from 5 to 20 pounds to add increased demand to your body during an exercise, which will help build your muscular strength and raise your heart rate without jumping around.

Basic bodyweight workouts also sometimes lack a fundamental movement pattern of “pull” exercises (i.e. rows and deadlifts), but adding in weights can allow for a complete, balanced workout with an equal amount of “push” and “pull” movements.

There are multiple variations of bodyweight and strength-training exercises you can do with a set of dumbbells – take a look at these weighted exercises you can try now at home:

• Arms: Bicep Curls, Shoulder Presses, Tricep Extensions, Lateral Raises
• Core: Weighted Russian Twists, Alternating Plank Rows, Overhead to Toe Crunches
• Legs: Weighted Lateral Lunges, Weighted Lunge Twists, Weighted Sumo Squats, Dumbbell Calf Raises

Occasional Cardio

While going on a walk or run isn’t exactly a form of exercise you can do inside your apartment, we recommend doing some form of cardio at least once a week for 30-60 minutes. 

Chicago is especially beautiful during the warmer months, so take advantage of the parks and trails around your neighborhood and the many running/biking paths along Lake Michigan if you live by the lakeshore. Reside Living even has a wide variety of apartment properties that are within walking distance to the lake.

Go on a neighborhood walk for coffee in the morning while listening to music or a podcast, or rent a Divvy bike to ride around the city – there’s always something for everyone.

Active Living In Chicago

With the right knowledge and mindset, creating an at-home fitness plan can be a rewarding experience that helps you stay fit, energized, and happy. Don’t let a small space or lack of professional gym equipment hold you back from getting an awesome workout in.

At Reside Living, some of our properties do offer fitness centers for residents so they can work out right within their building. Moreover, we even host Run Club and Tennis Social for all of our residents as well as $5 classes at various studios, gyms, and other wellness facilities in the city through our Reside Athletics program. 

If you’re a first-time renter or a renter on the hunt for a new apartment in Chicago, start your active living journey with our Reside Living communities here today.