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Mat having padded portion

Mat having padded portion description/claims

This Application claims the benefit of a U.S. provisional application No. 60/892,488 entitled “Mat Having Padded Portion”, filed Mar. 1, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Many activities that take place on the ground or on the floor may be made easier and more pleasant with the use of a mat or other padded surface. Many mats have been designed for sleeping outdoors or for use at the beach. Various sports have also required surfaces with different degrees of softness and various dimensions resulting in the development of a variety of athletic mats. Illustrative of the various sports that may utilize a mat are yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, and general exercise. Now mats are available in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Some individuals, for example, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with health problems that prevent them from participating in other sports often seek fun, low-impact methods of exercise. However, while these individuals are attracted to exercise, they are discouraged by the pain caused by the exertion of pressure on portions of the body not well configured to take such pressure, such as the knees, elbows, shoulders, hips, pelvis, buttocks, and the head. Additionally, body parts such as the hands and feet, while naturally adapted to support portions of the body's weight, may nevertheless cause an individual to experience pain when loaded at certain angles, in certain positions, or for long periods of time. Some individuals may thus be precluded from participating in exercise because of pain caused by focusing the body's weight on certain areas of the body.

Mats having an additional padded or cushioned portion are disclosed herein. When performing exercises some of the body parts may support the weight of the entire body for an extended period of time. An exercise mat with additional padding in appropriate locations may enhance user comfort, protect against injury, and/or ease strain on body parts that support substantial weight. A user of these mats may rest his/her knees or elbows on the padded portion for additional cushioning of tender joint areas. Further, some users of exercise mats may find that pressure applied to areas such as the hands, shoulders, buttocks, hips, pelvis, feet, and head may cause discomfort and the use of a padded portion is desirable. The exercise mats herein described comprise a substantially planar body portion combined with one or more portions with additional padding. The size, shape, number, and placement of the padded portions may be tailored to the intended use of the exercise mat. The padded portion may also be integrated into the mat or attached and moved at the discretion of the user. Finally, the padded portion may be integrated into the exercise mat between layers of the body portion or alternatively, the padded portion may be attached to an exterior planar surface of the exercise mat.

FIG. 1A is a first isometric view of an embodiment of an exercise mat.

FIG. 1B is a second isometric view of the exercise mat of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is an isometric view of the exercise mat of FIG. 1A indicating length and width dimensions.

FIG. 2B is a cross section elevation view of the exercise mat of FIG. 2A indicating length and height dimensions.

FIG. 3A is an isometric view of a second embodiment of an exercise mat indicating length and width dimensions.

FIG. 3B is a cross section elevation view of the exercise mat of FIG. 3A indicating length and height dimensions.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the exercise mat of FIG. 3A with a user in a “Cat-Cow Series” yoga posture.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the exercise mat of FIG. 3A with a user in a “Shoulder Stand” yoga posture.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the exercise mat of FIG. 3A with a user in a “Bow” yoga posture.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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