The Purpose Of An Exercise Equipment Mat
I learned the hard way that it is important to have an exercise equipment mat under a heavy workout machine. I made the mistake of placing my universal weight machine directly on the hardwood floor in my personal training studio in the back of my house in which I train clients. In the studio I have 3 other pieces of exercise equipment plus a bench for abdominal work. The treadmill, bench and rowing machine all have mats under them.
I now know it was a mistake not to have an exercise machine mat under the weight machine because the rubber legs of the machine have made black marks on the hardwood floor that are tough to remove. I don't have this problem with the other equipment.
It is especially important to have a mat under the treadmill as it provides added cushion to the runner, protects the floor and keeps the sound to a minimum when in use.
The mats I use are made of solid PVC which doesn't compress nearly as much a the softer, air filled type. I learned when doing research that the air blown kind of mats are filled will small air bubbles that make them soft to walk on but become compressed under heavy equipment. The air bubbles also make the material weaker and prone to breakdown quicker than the solid type. You can see the difference if you look up Defender Treadmill mats.
Simply take down the dimensions of the footprint of your exercise equipment and order the right floor mat to fit. Most fitness equipment stores carry a line of mats for this purpose.
Even if your machine is going onto a carpeted floor, a protective mat will save the carpet and also prevent carpet fibers and hair, dust, etc. from the carpet from entering the motor and moving parts of your equipment.
You can even get a mat to go under your Wii Fit exercise platform that will protect the floor beneath.
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