Exercise mat

An exercise comprising a mat and a plurality of supports strategically positioned for specific body parts. The supports may be integrally formed into the mat or removable. The exercise mat may further comprise a cover. The cover may have pockets or holes to receive the supports. In some embodiments, the cover and/or the top surface of the mat may comprise protuberances to reduce slippage. The bottom of the mat or the cover may be made from non-slip material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to exercise mats.

BACKGROUND

Exercises done on the floor are performed more comfortably with the use of a pad. The pad provides cushioning from the hard floor, a non-slip surface, and also demarcates the user's exercise area in the case of group exercises. The current exercise pads, however, are simple, flat, pliable pads. These pads, although providing general cushioning during the exercise, do not provide the requisite cushioning for isolated body parts that receive the greatest amount of pressure, such as the hands, the knees, and the feet. Creating a thicker pad would make the pad too cumbersome to carry.

Current pads focus on improving the transportability and anti-slip surfaces of the pad. Therefore, there is a need for a lightweight, transportable exercise mat that can provide the proper support and cushioning to body parts receiving the greatest amounts of stress and pressure without increasing the cumbersomeness of the exercise mat.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to an exercise mat that provides the proper cushioning for the exerciser. The exercise mat comprises a mat and a plurality of supports strategically positioned for specific body parts. In some embodiments, the supports may be removable. In some embodiments, the supports may be integrally formed into the mat. The exercise mat may further comprise a cover. The cover may have pockets to receive the supports. In some embodiments, the cover and/or the top surface of the mat may comprise protuberances to reduce slippage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

With reference toFIGS. 1-3, the exercise mat100is designed to provide additional support and comfort to parts of an exerciser's limbs, such as the hands, wrists, elbows, knees, and feet during an exercise, such as yoga. The exercise mat100comprises a mat102having a plurality of supports104strategically positioned so as to accommodate the exerciser's upper and lower limbs.

The mat102provides a comfortable surface upon which the exerciser can perform his or her exercises. The mat102is generally rectangular in shape having a top surface106and a bottom surface108opposite the top surface106. The mat102can be made in any other shape, such as round, oval, square, triangular, and the like and may come in a variety of sizes to accommodate exercisers of different heights and sizes.

In some embodiments, the mat102comprises a cushioning material110. Suitable cushioning material110includes foam, rubber, gel, and any other material that can absorb shock. The top surface106may comprise material that is cushioning, comfortable to the touch, absorbent, or any combination thereof, such as textiles and fabrics, vinyl, rubber, silicone, plastics, polypropylene, polyurethane, synthetics, elastomers, polymers, and the like. In some embodiments, the top surface106may comprise material that is fluid impermeable so as not to soak up sweat that may accumulate on top of the mat during exercise. Such a material also facilitates cleaning the mat102.

The bottom surface108may be integrally formed with the top surface106and, therefore, be made from the same material as the top surface106. This also allows the mat102to be reversible so that the supports104can protrude from either side. In reversible embodiments, the supports104can be made to protrude out from the side opposite the floor, for example, by using fluid or loose material for the support104. In some embodiments, the bottom surface108may be made from a different material and fastened to the top surface106, for example by stitching or adhesives. For example, the bottom surface108may be made from material that is more conducive to preventing slippage while the top surface is made from material that is more conducive for providing comfort and/or absorbency. Alternatively, the mat102may be constructed from a single piece of material and a cover200may be utilized to lay on top of or envelope the mat102so as to provide the proper material for the top and bottom surfaces to provide the proper function, i.e. comfort, absorbency, or non-slip surface.

The top surface106of the mat102comprises a plurality of supports104strategically positioned so as to accommodate a user's upper limbs and/or lower limbs during an exercise to provide comfort and additional padding. The supports104each comprise a cushioning110material made from a fluid material, such as gas, air, liquid, water, oil, and the like; semi-rigid material, such as gel; and/or a solid material. If a solid material is used, the solid material may be a single piece, such as rubber, foam, fabric, and the like, or it may be a plurality of loose pieces, such as beads, feathers, plastic chips, and the like. Any other material or substance that absorbs shock is also suitable. For example, the cushioning material may be memory foam manufactured under the trademark Tempur-Pedic® or silica gel.

In some embodiments, the supports104may be dome-shaped or cylindrical in shape although any shape is suitable. Each support104may be of uniform shape and size for ease of manufacturing and transferability with other supports104. In other embodiments, the supports104may come in a variety of shapes and any sizes to accommodate various body parts as shown inFIG. 4. The various body parts that may require support include upper limbs, such as the head, arms, shoulders, elbows, forearms, wrists, and hands; and lower limbs, such as the legs, thighs, knees, shins, ankles, and feet. For example, some supports104may be elliptical or oval in shape to accommodate an arm, while others are circular, rectangular, or square to accommodate the hands, knees, feet, or head. In some embodiments, the supports104may be contoured to fit specific body parts. For example, the support may have a concavity400or dip to receive an exerciser's upper or lower limbs. The concavity400may be in the general shape of the body part intended to be received. For example, if the support104is intended to receive the shin or forearm, the concavity400would be an elongated, elliptical or tubular shape. For knees, elbows, or the head, the concavity400may be bowl shaped. For the hands, the concavity400may be shaped like an open hand. Additional supports104may surround the concavity400to facilitate keeping the specific body part inside the concavity400during an exercise.

In some embodiments, the supports104may be permanently sealed, meaning that once the cushioning material110is inserted it cannot be removed without destroying the support104. Alternatively, the supports104may have a closeable opening112through which the cushioning material110may be inserted and removed. For example, the closeable opening112may be a sealable hole or an opening closeable with a fastener. The opening112may be closed by any reversible fastening means such as zippers, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, and the like. This allows the cushioning material112to be removed, replaced, refilled, or otherwise properly maintained or adjusted.

In some embodiments, the supports104may be integrally formed into the mat102as shown inFIG. 3. In other words, the mat102and supports104are made from one continuous piece of material. At the area of the supports104an excess amount of material may be provided to increase the thickness of the supports104relative to the rest of the mat102. For example, the mat102may be a single, flat piece of foam or rubber but at strategic location, an excess amount of the foam or rubber may have been formed to raise that area above the rest of the mat, thereby forming the support104. As another example, the mat102may be a single, flat piece of textile or fabric material, such as a towel, with an excess amount of cotton or other material formed at strategic locations to form the support104. If the supports are integrally formed into the mat, a variety of exercise mats100will have to be manufactured so as to provide the proper limb positioning of exercisers of different sizes.

In some embodiments, the supports104may be reversibly attachable to the mat102as shown inFIG. 2. In other words, removable supports may be fastened to the mat102, and removed from the mat102without destroying the mat102or the support104. For example, the bottom of the support104may comprise a fastener206to fasten to the top surface106of the mat102. Suitable fasteners206include a hook-and-loop fastener, an adhesive material, a magnet, a highly resistive or other non-slip surface, and the like. The top surface106of the mat102comprises the reciprocal fastener material to attach with the fastener on the bottom surface of the support104. This allows a single size mat100to be manufactured, while allowing the exerciser to position the supports according to his or her physical profile and the desired exercise. In some embodiments, the mat102may comprise a combination of removable and integrally fixed supports104.

In some embodiments, the top surface106of the mat102may comprise a mark402so as to facilitate proper placement of the supports104for exercisers of different sizes, for different exercises, or for different body parts. These marks402can function as instructional tools to teach beginning exercisers where to properly position their limbs so as to perfect their body alignment during the exercise. Using suitable fasteners206, exercisers can quickly and easily place and secure supports104on the proper mark402and when ready for a different position, move the supports104to the next proper mark402.

For example, exercises may be performed on the exerciser's hands and knees or feet. A first pair of supports104amay be positioned or fixed on the mat so as to accommodate placement of the hands in a comfortable position, such as approximately shoulder width apart. A second pair of supports104bmay be positioned away from the first pair of supports at a distance that accommodates the placement of the exerciser's lower limb, such as the knees or feet while the exerciser's hands are still on the first pair of supports. Each support in the second pair of supports104bmay be placed apart from each other at a distance comfortable to the exerciser. A third pair of supports (not shown) may be positioned apart from the first and second pair of supports to accommodate the positioning of any remaining body parts that may require support. For example, if the second pair of supports104baccommodates the knees, the third pair of supports may be positioned to accommodate the feet, and vice versa. These placements may be integrally formed into the mat102by the manufacturer. In the removable support embodiment, these supports104may be positioned by the exerciser and secured in place using a fastener.

In some embodiments, the top surface106of the mat102may further comprise protuberances202. The protuberances202serve to increase the friction between the user and the cover200to provide a non-slip surface. Preferably the protuberances202are spread throughout the mat102. The protuberances202are much smaller in size than the supports104and much more frequent in number. In the preferred embodiment, the protuberances202are cylindrical in shape. The protuberances202, however, may be any other shape, such as dome-like, pyramidal, conical, block-shaped, cubical, and the like.

In some embodiments, the exercise mat100may comprise a removable cover200positionable on the top surface106of the mat102. The cover200may comprise a plurality of pockets204or cavities integrally formed into the cover200as a means for receiving a support104. Each pocket204or cavity may align with one of the supports104. Preferably, the shape of each pocket204or cavity is substantially similar to the shape of the support104so as to fit snugly on to the support104. In some embodiments, the pocket204or cavity may be lined with an elastic band to better adhere to the supports104. Other means to secure the pockets204onto the supports104may be utilized, such as magnets, hook-and-loop fasteners, adhesives, friction, clips, and the like.

In some embodiments, the cover200may comprise holes208through which the supports104are inserted and exposed as another means for receiving a support104.

The cover200may be made from any type or combination of material, similar to the mat102, such as textiles and fabrics, vinyl, rubber, silicone, plastics, polypropylene, polyurethane, synthetics, elastomers, polymers, and the like, or any other material that is absorbent and comfortable. Since the cover200will be the point of contact with the exerciser, the cover200should be comfortable to the touch. Furthermore, since the cover200serves as an outer covering, the cover200may be absorbent so as to absorb the sweat that falls onto the mat100. The cover200may be removable and washable so that after use, the exerciser can quickly and easily remove the cover200from the mat102and have it cleaned.

The cover200may be a single layer to lay on top of the mat. In some embodiments, the cover200may be a double layer into which the mat102may be inserted. In the double layer embodiment, the cover200may also be a single integral piece or at least two separate pieces affixed together, for example, by stitching. Using at least two separate pieces allows one side of the cover200to be made from a comfortable, absorbent material while the other side may be made from a non-slip material. The double layer cover further comprises an opening through which the mat102may be inserted or removed. The opening comprises a fastener, such as a zipper, hook-and-loop fastener, snap buttons or the like to reversibly close the opening.

In embodiments utilizing the cover200, the cover200may comprise protuberances202, a textured surface, or some other non-slip material to provide a non-slip surface for the exerciser.