Working out in back garden - neighbours complaining.

[LuciferKitty]

I had a baby a few months ago and trying to shift the baby weight which I have gained.

The last few mornings around 10:30am I have been going into our back garden to do a workout on apple fitness+. I have been wearing my headphones as quite frankly my neighbours don't need to hear the cheesy "come on, push it harder" motivation chat from the fitness instructor.

This morning after my workout (I do HIIT - 20 minutes), the neighbour next door came to the door and asked if I could work out inside as they are trying to relax in their back garden in peace and watch their fish. I was a bit taken aback. My DH heard this and came to the door and politely said that I'm not making lots of noise, it's day light and we are entitled to work out in our garden. He pointed out what will they think when our daughter is older and playing in the garden? The neighbour responded "that's different" and apparently my panting noises are a bit "erotic sounding". At this point we said to the neighbour that again, I'm not making excessive noise and that I'm simply working out. His response? "Well join a gym then"

I'm actually really annoyed. We have CCTV outside the property so I checked to hear how loud I am when working out and honestly hardly any noise, mostly just heavy breathing which the camera struggled to pick up. It's not like I'm making noises like Monica from friends when she gets her massage.

I also have a gym in the garage so why would I join a gym? We live in a detached house so no risk of noise to adjoining walls etc. there's not that much floor space to do the workouts inside the garage. Before baby I didn't do the HIIT.

The reason for me working out in the back garden is my DH is working from home and my baby is napping so I don't want to be creating noise inside to wake up baby or disturb DH working. If baby wakes up the monitor pings a notification to my phone so I will know if she is awake and will stop workout to tend to baby.

Neighbour only moved in about 6 months ago and never had any issues since.

Who is BU? Me or the neighbour?

How tall is the fencing between you, and your neighbours?

I can’t believe they actually had the nerve to complain to your face . Don’t let them bully you into leaving that garden . Your completely in the right . Take your headphones off , play the sound outloud . Let him know how much worse it could be 🙂

@LuciferKitty I think, in true mumsnet style, we need a diagram. Including the fish. How close are the fish to your panting? Are the fish getting a bit frisky with the unexpected erotic sound track. Perhaps your neighbour is just concerned that his pond isn’t big enough for all of the extra fish babies that will result from his Koi being exposed to your work out.

This was my first thought, either you’re too loud or too quiet. But your garden is yours to heavy breath in as you wish.

@Battybonkers your wish, is my command

PS, as you can tell, I cannot draw to save myself.

My house is detached, NDN is in a semi - just in case you wondered what was next to their house.

Thanks - now it’s clear: they’re just jealous cos your house is bigger.

No one made them buy that house, so if it is jealousy, then that's pathetic...

A mere 20 minutes and they’re complaining? They sound
like a couple of nutters looking for something to whinge about. I wouldn’t even notice. And if I did, I wouldn’t care. Just carry on. You can’t allow crackpots like that to dictate your life.

My lord they'd hate me, I'm a regular garden gym bunny! It was a life line during maternity leave and lockdown and I still do a work out when I can't get out for a run or I'm wfh. Also a detached house. Ignore them, they remind me of my old neighbours in a flat who told me I was too 'heavy footed' and should wear slippers...

And I am typing this listening to my actually very annoying neighbours who are holding yet another late night garden party. Maybe a 6am garden work out should be on the cards tomorrow??!

Work out in your garden and start panting louder. They have little to be complaining about sitting looking at their fish. Some neighbours are bonkers. Keep up the good work and congrats on baby.

@LuciferKitty seriously though they are clearly in the wrong! If they are the sort of people that need absolute silence to appreciate their fish they probably shouldn’t have bought a semi in what I’m assuming is a street full of houses…. Once your baby gets a bit older buy her a recorder. Then they can reminisce about the days when they just had to listen to your workouts.

Thing is, it's a young street with loads of young families. I'm just being honest here but they are probably the oldest residents in our street. I'd say average age is 35

Wow! It’s your garden you can do what you like, not least on a lovely sunny day. Ignore

@ElsieMc that is insane. What can you be power washing for that long? Even without a drought…your outdoors are never going to be as clean as a kitchen floor. People that are that obsessive are weird. Power washers are loud aren’t they? Could potentially have a nuisance issue there. Definitely shop them if it continues when the hose ban is on… or sign them up for a water meter haha

Whilst your doing your workout in the garden can I come over & be your motivational coach & cheerleader?! 😉 😂

Not by any means. But thank you for your OP and all the responses. The idea of people 'watching their fish' as a thing that requires Trappist silence from nextdoor is deliciously bonkers. And controllling.

Missing the point but I’m so envious of your lovely temperature. it’s going to be 33 here again today. I’m so over it. Maybe I should move to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

YANBU. Your neighbours are being weird. I’m a huge Apple fitness fan and do a lot of their workouts including the 20 minute HIIT sessions. Leave your headphones off next time and let the dulcet tones of Jamie Ray and Kim ring out loud and clear! The Pilates workouts are recommended and leave me gasping and panting so much, a passerby might muse, ‘yes Debbie has indeed done Dallas’.

Personally I would start breathing louder.. with the occasional moan 😂 but I'm a petty bitch

Buy yourself a trampoline and blast Mr Mr Motivator. Lots of exaggerated Woos and Yays

Good call!

Odd. Selfish neighbour. You keep doing what you're doing. You are very reasonable and considerate to everyone. 🙂

I’d buy one of those voice changing masks, you could treat them to an erotic Batman for 20 minutes!

They are definitely BU!

Your neighbour is a dick - carry on working out - maybe play some music so they can’t hear your “erotic” breathing (that made me lol 😂 they clearly don’t get out much)
but carry on telling thrm
where to fuck off as you are enjoying your garden perfectly reasonably and unless they are prepared to offer to pay for your gym membership, travel to/from AND top of the range childcare then maybe they can put some headphones on and listen to calming water noises