Ideas for working out indoors... Share your tips!

I live in the inner city so I don't like to exercise outside - too many people! I have plenty of space in my apartment, but no gym equipment.

At the moment I am just doing toning stuff like sit ups, squats, lunges, and push ups but I want to get some cardio. Any ideas for things I can do? Money is an issue otherwise I would get some exercise machines :(

If you're open to using workout DVDs/tapes, I recommend Billy Blanks' workouts.  I go to the gym to cycle now and then, but I really enjoying staying in to workout too.  I recently bought his Spot Training: Upper Body workout from someone on eBay and paid $10 or so including shipping.  The prices from his website (www.billyblanks.com) are reasonable too since there's no shipping cost (I believe).  Some of his workout programs are really tough, but it gives me a great goal (to be able to complete the workout without stopping to stretch or take a break). 

Jumping rope is a GREAT cardio workout that is cheap and can be done in tight spaces (you don't necessarily need the rope).  Jumping jacks is another.  They both help keep the heartrate up for extended periods of time.  If you want to do some weight training, you can always use canned foods as weights.

Thanks a lot for the advice! I think some video stores might have exercise dvds to check out, and I have an old skipping rope somewhere. These are great ideas, thanks heaps!!

I've been exercising to videotapes, yoga and pilates and aerobics.  I decided I needed more aerobics, so was trying to get in at least four sessions a week.

One day I was getting ready to exercise, put on my exercise shoes and my sports bra, and CNN was talking about breaking news that I didn't want to miss - so I just exercised to the news.

So that's how I do my aerobics now - I exercise during a television show I was going to watch anyway (usually the news), look at the clock when I start, and just spend twenty minutes doing aerobics moves borrowed from my tapes and the class I go to.  Check my heart rate several times to make sure I'm in my target zone.

What's great about it is that you don't have to 'make time' for it, since you're doing it during a show you were going to watch anyway, and you can tailor it for your physical condition - some aerobics moves are hard on my knee, so I just don't do those.  And since I've started doing more aerobics, my weight has finally started to inch down, so I'm really motivated.

Sometimes I watch those late night fitness program infomercials (Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Jazz, etc) just to pick up moves to incorporate into my Steppin' To The News sessions.

If noise is a concern or the floor of your apt is thin, you can also look into Slim In 6. The movements are soft and pretty low impact. Some parts of it requires you to jog in place or half jumping jacks but you can replace that with other movements.

i also have minimal apartment space and typically do indoor workouts. 

like mari, i also recommend the billy blanks workouts.  they can be pretty intense though so it might be discouraging for a beginner (it was for me anyway when i first started).  i do caribbean workout videos too (i tape them from the tv), which are nice for some variety. 

You could also try doing the exercises you're already doing (lunges, squats, pushups) with additional weights.  you could also do combo moves - like squats with curls, lunges with shoulder press, etc.

Or you could alternate each toning move with a minute of cardio (such as jogging on the spot, half or full jumping jacks, skipping rope).  if you want a more intense workout you could alternate a minute of toning, with a minute of cardio, with short spurts of running as fast as you can on the spot.  that always gets my heart pumping.

I found a skip-it from years ago in our basement, that thing is a great workout that you can do while watching TV. And you feel less strange doing it then you do running in place! 

I'm a HUGE fan of yogatoday.com.  They post videotaped classes online everyday that you can download for free.  The only downside is that the downloading can take a while, so I just do it overnight or when I'm going to leave the house.  The classes are fantastic, accessible to everyone from beginners up, and a great workout that you can do with no equipment whatsoever (a mat helps, but isn't necessary).

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! 
That yogatoday.com is great! I'm going to start doing that a few times a week. Appreciate it!