Treadmill in second floor flat

[Treadilema]

Want to improve fitness and so have purchased a treadmill to start couch to 5k (have a young DS and no DP so wanting to do something once he’s in bed and can not get outside). Reviews said it’s a quiet machine and it seems so far so good. However, when walking, so only 4km speed, it sounds like an elephant pounding the streets. Yes I’m heavy but I’m walking as lightly as possible and wondering whether my downstairs neighbours will be affected. I’ve put it on a rug to reduce some of the noise but is there anything else I can do to reduce the noise further? I’m not sure if the room (large open plan kitchen diner living room) is just echoey or whether the impact on the floor will be unreasonable. I’ve asked downstairs before whether we’re noisy (had an issue with a washing machine) but fear they’re just too polite to say so. Any help appreciated

We live in a 1920's house. At first, the treadmill was upstairs but despite a thick rubber mat it, the whole house shook. It's now on a concrete floor downstairs and absolutely fine.

I reckon it depends on the type of floor you have. And definitely get a mat. This sort of thing only bigger or more of them.

www.amazon.co.uk/etm-Anti-Vibration-Washing-Machine-Mat/dp/B00QVN1JPA/ref=asc_df_B00QVN1JPA/?hvlocphy=1007135&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=232020729251&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos=1o3&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-421546188930&hvrand=8138166607998611141

I think all you can do is keep asking your downstairs neighbours if it's bothering them. Although if they say yes, what will you do? If your washing machine was bothering them, it's very likely that your treadmill will also bother them.

Given you're not on the ground floor, you probably would have been better off getting a rower or an exercise bike rather than something that is such high impact and liable to shake/disturb your neighbours. But too late now.

@jojo thanks, I actually have that one under my washing machine and although it absorbs some it’s still quite noisy. I’ve currently got it on two layers of children’s foam mats and a rug but can still hear a stomping sound. I’m in a new build (so concrete box) with Lino flooring so not much sound proofing between us and below

You were daft to buy it in a flat. Get rid, there's no way your neighbours can't hear it.

Perhaps you could come to an arrangement about a time that won't bother them. Presumably you'll.never be on or for more than 45 mins or so anyway.

@HundredMilesAnHour thanks, and this was something I had considered but I wanted to build stamina walking/jogging rather than cycling or rowing as had considered these. I really want to be considerate (as my upstairs neighbour is most definitely not) but maybe it was a big mistake to purchase

My upstairs neighbours are noisy enough just walking around, I’d be so utterly fucked off with them on a treadmill. Not to mention (perhaps unjustly) about the effect of pressure on floorboards

I’d go and have a chat with them, find out when they’re out and use it then

My upstairs neighbours are noisy enough just walking around, I’d be so utterly fucked off with them on a treadmill.

Me too. My (current) upstairs neighbour is relatively quiet but I still get disturbed by him walking around, opening and closing cupboards/drawers, his washing machine and worst of all, his bloody alarm going off every 10 minutes through the night (he works nights and sometimes heads off to work having forgotten to switch his alarm off). His alarm keeps me awake all bloody night. If he got a treadmill, I think I'd cry. And then possibly try to burn his flat down.

OP it's great that you want to be considerate but it was a silly idea when you know the noise insulation between your flats is pretty poor (like most new builds). Could you take the treadmill back and get a refund and get something quieter?

Wow @hundred that really is a lot to contend with and I have to say ours isn’t nearly as bad as that, more 3 lively boys running and jumping occasionally past 9/10pm.
Absolutely regretting the purchase and will be looking in to returning, def don’t want to upset the neighbours!