Patent Publication Number: US-10786702-B2

Title: Exercise mat apparatus and method

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The field relates to exercise mats. Specifically, the exercise mat detailed provides visual reference points to assist the user in finding, learning, and refining their form, improving the consistency of form, and thereby increasing overall efficiency of expended effort and results. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Physical therapy is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialty that, by using mechanical force and movements remediates impairments and promotes mobility, function, and quality of life through examination, diagnosis, prognosis, and physical intervention. Physical therapy management commonly includes the prescription of specific exercises. Additionally, physical therapy works with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness and wellness oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles. 
     Conventional exercise mats and fitness center flooring do not provide indications or guidelines for body and limb placement to both teach and achieve proper form and alignment during rehabilitation exercises prescribed in physical therapy, dynamic strength and flexibility development exercises used in wellness routines, and specific exercise styles including yoga, Pilates and martial arts. When done improperly or sub-optimally, exercise reduces the potential results achieved and also increases the risk of injury. What is needed is an exercise mat that improves the alignment and awareness of the user&#39;s body and reduces the risk of injury. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     An exercise mat system can be utilized across modalities of development, wellness and rehabilitation for the purpose of learning optimal alignment for the individual user. The visual markings on the inventive exercise mat enables teachers to facilitate alignment and form education and corrections across students of varying body types and abilities. The user&#39;s can learn by seeing their individual alignment reference points. This visual alignment can repeated until the properly aligned exercise is felt internally in the user&#39;s body. 
     In an embodiment, the exercise mat can have a rectangular shape defined by a left edge, a right edge, a front edge and a rear edge. In an embodiment, the visual markings on the mat can include a plurality of longitudinal lines aligned with the length and a plurality of latitudinal lines aligned with the width of the mat. The mat can also include a plurality of visual line markings that are 45 degrees relative to the edges of the mat. In an embodiment, the visual markings can include a plurality of lines and a plurality of parallelogram shapes. The parallelograms can have two 45 degree angles and two 135 degree angles. 
     The user can perform exercises on the exercise mat in alignment with any of the four edges. By training in all four directions on the mat, the user engages their brain to check against the varying reference point representations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is the top view of the exercise mat with visual markers. 
         FIG. 2  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in warrior 1 pose. 
         FIG. 3  is the side view of a first user in warrior 1 pose. 
         FIG. 4  is the top view of the exercise mat with a second user in warrior 1 pose. 
         FIG. 5  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in warrior 1 facing opposite direction. 
         FIG. 6  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in kneeling hip flexor stretch. 
         FIG. 7  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in quadruped opposite arm/leg. 
         FIG. 8  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in supine pectoralis minor stretch. 
         FIG. 9  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in seated forward fold. 
         FIG. 10  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in seated forward fold, showing measured progress. 
         FIG. 11  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in standing wide leg forward fold, facing the top of the mat. 
         FIG. 12  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in standing wide leg forward fold, facing the side of the mat. 
         FIG. 13  is the top view of the exercise mat with a first user in standing wide leg forward fold, facing the side of the mat, showing measured progress. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure that follows is for an exercise mat with includes a visual alignment system with reference points in various representations to engage the brain as the user learns to see their alignment until they learn to feel it internally. The design enables the user to train in all four directions on the mat to keep the brain and body engaged during the learning process. 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of an embodiment of an exercise mat  100  with visual alignment system. The exercise mat may be constructed of any well-known material. In one form, the exercise mat  100  is made from all natural rubber resulting in a high-grip surface. The exercise mat  100  can be proximately 68 inches long by 24 inches wide or any other suitable dimensions. In the illustrated embodiment, the exercise mat  100  includes visual markers that form primary image of the scorpion  101  and visual markers the which have been named: horizontal line  121 , outside lines  123 , inside lines  125 , spine  127 , eyes  129 , scorpion legs  131 , scorpion claws  133 , tail  135 , and body  137 . In the illustrated embodiments, the scorpion legs  131 , scorpion claws  133 , tail  135 , and body  137  are illustrated as parallelograms with two corners forming 45 degree angles and two corners forming 135 degree angles. The width of the scorpion claw  133  parallelograms can be wider than the scorpion leg  131  parallelograms. The width of the scorpion body  137  parallelograms are wider than tail  135  parallelograms and the scorpion claw  133  parallelograms. The eyes  127  can be squares that are divided into two right triangles. All angles formed by the visual markers are either 90 or 45 degrees relative to the spine  127  center line of the mat  100 . 
     In an embodiment, the top portion  115  of the mat  100  utilizes positive space (ink printed) visual markers, the mid-section  117  of the mat  100  introduces negative space visual markers, and the bottom portion  119  of the mat  100  requires the user to interpolate and infer the visual markers. 
     The visual markers enable a user to adjust to different markers as his/her body changes over time. Additionally, the design enables persons of different sizes and body abilities to find what is appropriate for his/her specific structure rather than being constrained by a limited set of points that may or may not work for the specific individual using it. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of a first user  151  performing a “Warrior I Pose” on the mat  100  and  FIG. 3  illustrates a profile view of the first user  151  in the Warrior I Pose. The first user  151  can first decide the point of origin for the left foot  143  on the mat  100  and together with his/her instructor the mat  100  is utilized to find and feel the right place for positioning the right foot  141 . In this example, the first user  151  is facing the bottom portion  119  of the mat  100  and has placed the left foot  143  adjacent to the inside line  125  of the mat  100  with the toes near the horizontal line  121 . The first user  151  has placed the right foot  141  on a scorpion leg  131  which is 45 degrees relative to the inside line  125 . The mat  100  markings enables the first user  151  to understand their range of motion by seeing their current alignment abilities against the mat  100  pattern. In this figure, the user has the range of motion to square their hips  145  to the front of the mat  100 . The 45 degree angles present in the scorpion legs  131 , claws  133  and body segmentation remind the user  139  to track the foot with the direction of the knee. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates another top view of a second user  152  performing a Warrior I Pose on the mat  100 . Note this user  139  has different natural preferences when deciding the point of origin for the left foot  143  and together with his/her instructor utilizes the mat  100  to find and feel the right place for positioning the right foot  141  tracking with the knee  147  when the hips  145  are squared toward the bottom portion  119  of the mat  100 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a first user  151  performing Warrior I Pose facing the front portion  115  of the mat  100 . The first user  151  may decide that the point of origin for the left foot  143  is aligned with an inner line  125  with the front of the left foot  143  adjacent to the top horizontal line  121 . In this illustration, the first user  151  is using a different visual set of reference points and together with his/her instructor utilizes the mat  100  to find and feel the right place for positioning the right foot  141  tracking with the knee  147  using the 45 degree angles of the scorpion legs  131  as a guide. The first user  151  finds the right foot  141  alignment in negative space aligned with the positive space of the scorpion legs  131 . In contrast, with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , as compared to the right foot  141  alignment in the positive space on the scorpion legs  131  when facing the bottom portion  119  of the mat  100 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a top view a first user  151  performing a kneeling hip flexor stretch facing the top portion  115  of the mat  100 . The first user  151  has placed the left foot  143  is adjacent to the top horizontal line  121  and aligned with the inside lines  125 . The right foot  141  is adjacent to the horizontal line  121 . The inside lines  125  and other markings on the mat  100  can be seen by the first user  151  and his/her instructor. These mat  100  markings enable the first user  151  to see the positions of the user&#39;s hips  145 , thighs and calves and find the appropriate parallel alignment. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of the first user  151  performing a quadruped opposite arm/leg stretch on facing the bottom portion  119  of the mat  100 . The user The mat enables the user to track their spine against the scorpion spine and find the extension stretch in opposite arm/leg while tracking parallel to the vertical lines on the mat. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a top view of the first user  151  in supine pectoralis minor stretch. The first user  151  is able to create a 90 degree angle with their right arm by utilizing the vertical lines as a guide, while tracking their torso with the scorpion spine. In this example, the right hand  140  is placed on the outside line  123  with the forearm aligned with the outside line  123  and the elbow creating a 90 degree angle. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a top view of the first user  151  in a seated forward fold position on a top portion  115  of the mat  100 . The first user  151  has chosen to align their sits bones  149  with a horizontal line  121  and utilizes the scorpion spine  127  bisect the first user&#39;s  151  body. The left foot  143  and the right foot  141  are aligned and placed on opposite adjacent sides of the scorpion body  137 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a top view of the first user  151  in seated forward fold having progressed in the depth of the posture from the seated forward fold position. The progress is visible against the mat pattern and provides both a measurement gauge and reinforcement mechanism for the first user  151  on the mat  100 . Again, the first user  151  has chosen to align their sits bones  149  with a horizontal line  121  and utilizes the scorpion spine  127  bisect the first user&#39;s  151  body. The left foot  143  and the right foot  141  are aligned and placed on opposite adjacent sides of the scorpion body  137 . 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a top view of the first user  151  in a standing wide leg forward fold, facing the top of the mat  100 . The right foot  141 , the left foot  143  and the hips  145  are aligned with the horizontal line  121 . The right foot  141  and the left foot  143  can track with knees and may be aligned with the 45 degree angles of the scorpion claws  133 . 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a top view of the first user  151  in a standing wide leg forward fold, facing the side of the mat  100 . In this example, the right foot  141 , the left foot  143  and the hips  145  are aligned with the scorpion spine  127 . The right foot  141  and the left foot  143  can track with knees. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a top view of the first user  151  in wide leg forward fold, facing the side of the mat  100 , showing measured progress. Hips  145 , knees, the right foot  141 , and the left foot  143  are aligned to the scorpion spine. 
     In the description above and throughout, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of an embodiment of this disclosure. It will be evident, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art, that an embodiment may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate explanation. The description of the preferred embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. Further, in the methods disclosed herein, various steps are disclosed illustrating some of the functions of an embodiment. These steps are merely examples, and are not meant to be limiting in any way. Other steps and functions may be contemplated without departing from this disclosure or the scope of an embodiment.