Dear Rubber Flooring Experts,
I recently decided to turn part of my garage into a fitness area, so I set up a treadmill some free-weights, and a lifting machine. I read in a magazine that installing padded exercise mats are important, but I don’t understand how. Is rubber matting really that much better than the bare garage floor? I don’t really have much money on hand to buy extra mats because most of it went toward buying the equipment. I set up this home gym in the first place to save money, but it seems like rubber flooring is going to cost a lot…before I put out any more money, I want to know: honestly now, exactly HOW does it help my workouts?
- Buff but Broke
Dear Mr. Buff,
First off, it’s great that you got active and decided to set up your own home gym! I’m sure you have already seen some of the benefits of being able to work out in your own home. However, think back for a moment at the public gym you used to attend- chances are, it had rubber floors. We definitely agree that padded exercise mats are very important to your workout. Did you know that working out on hard surfaces, like concrete, subjects your body to exaggerated impact stress? This is because hard ground is unyielding to your steps, and does not absorb the force you exude during the exercise. This force comes down hard on your muscles and can lead to more serious exercise injuries. Working out on hard surfaces is generally jarring to your joints as well, which are some of the most fragile parts of the human body. A shock absorbing exercise mat that is made of rubber can help reduce the stress of impact. Rubber is a high tensile material that absorbs impact and provides resilient support. When your body is not tired from absorbing the effects of its own exuded force, it means you have more energy and can complete a longer, better workout. If cost is something you are worried about, then just keep checking back on our website- we often have special promotions on our items when you find one that works for you, then you can get the perfect discount exercise mats for your gym.
Secondly the same concepts mentioned above also relate to your gym equipment. You noted that the cost of the equipment was quite a bit. You want to make sure that your investments are taken care of by providing a surface that will absorb their impact as they come to contact with concrete floors. Free weights are always being tossed around, and a soft durable rubber floor can reduce the possibility of damage to falling weights. Strenuous exercise means throwing some dumbbells around and regardless of the material make-up of your fitness equipment, a shock absorbing exercise mat will reduce any cosmetic damage that the weight equipment can suffer from. Even a treadmill can benefit from the extra padding below its surface. Padded exercise mats can be great treadmills mats, since they absorb some of the consistent impact that a treadmill receives.
- The Rubber Flooring Experts