Exercise mat
An elongate mat has a surface upon which are located a plurality of indicia for guiding placement of one or more parts of a user's body when performing a plurality of yoga postures thereon. The anatomical measurements of the parts of the user's body determine the location of the plurality of indicia on the mat. There is also provided a method of performing exercises upon the mat, a method of forming a plurality of indicia on or in the mat, and a computerized system for manufacture of a mat.
1. An elongate mat having a surface, the mat comprising:
a plurality of indicia located about the surface for guiding placement of one or more parts of a user's body when performing a plurality of yoga postures thereon, wherein the anatomical measurements of parts of the body of the user determine the location of the plurality of indicia on the mat, wherein the plurality of indicia comprise at least a first transverse line made at a predetermined distance from the distal end of the mat and a second transverse line spaced apart from the first transverse line at a distance corresponding to the distance from the collarbone of the standing user to the floor less the distance from the tip of the middle finger of the user to the base of the palm.
2. An elongate mat according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of indicia are located symmetrically about a longitudinal axis.
3. An elongate mat according to claim 1 wherein the mat has a longitudinal axis with a central region, and the plurality of indicia include at least three a third transverse lines, three marks extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, at least one marking on the longitudinal axis, and two markings on each side and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis.
4. An elongate mat according to claim 1 wherein the anatomical measurements of the user specified are selected from the group of measurements comprising: the distance from the collarbone of the user to the floor, the foot length of the user from the base of the heel to the base of the user's toe, the tip of the middle finger of the user to the base of the user's palm, the base of the middle finger of the user to the base of the palm of the user, the width across the shoulders of the user, the distance from the elbow of the user to the tip of the little finger of the user, the full length of the foot of the user and the length of the tibia of the user.
5. An elongate mat according to claim 3 wherein the third transverse line is spaced apart from the second transverse line by a distance corresponding to the distance from the base of the middle finger of the user of the mat to the base of the palm and spaced apart from the second transverse line and further distal to the first transverse line.
6. An elongate mat according to claim 5 wherein the mat has a longitudinal axis with a central region, and a first pair of vertical marks extend from the second transverse line, each of said first pair of marks on either side from the central region and being spaced apart from the central region of the mat at a distance corresponding to the length of the foot of the user from the heel to the toe of user, each of the first pair of marks extending in a parallel direction to the longitudinal axis.
7. An elongate mat according to claim 6 wherein a second pair of vertical marks extending in the direction of the first transverse line at a location spaced apart from the first transverse line a distance corresponding to the distance from the collarbone of the standing user to the floor; said second pair of vertical marks spaced apart on either side of the longitudinal axis, each of said second pair of vertical marks being spaced apart from the longitudinal axis by a distance corresponding to half of the distance between the shoulders of the user.
8. An elongate mat according to claim 7 wherein a first cross indicia is made on the longitudinal axis by measuring a distance from a first pair of origins located on either side of the longitudinal axis on the second transverse line at a distance of half the shoulder width of the user from the longitudinal axis, the distance corresponding to distance from the elbow of the user to the tip of the little finger of the user.
9. An elongate mat according to claim 8 wherein a pair of second cross indicia are located on the mat, by measuring a distance from a second origin located on the longitudinal axis at a distance from the first transverse line corresponding to the distance from the collarbone of the standing user to the floor, and wherein one of each pair of second cross indicia is located on either side of the longitudinal axis at a distance corresponding to the distance from the elbow of the user to the tip of the little finger of the user.
10. An elongate mat according to claim 9 wherein a pair of third cross indicia are located on the mat, each of said pair being located at a distance from the first transverse line which is the sum of the full length of the foot of the user, the length of the tibia of the user and the length of the heel of the user to the base of the big toe; and wherein each of the pair of the third cross indicia are spaced apart from the longitudinal axis by a transverse distance corresponding to the length of the foot of the user from the heel to the toe of user on either side of the longitudinal axis.
11. An elongate mat according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of indicia include at least three transverse lines, three marks extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, at least one marking on the longitudinal axis, and two markings on each side and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis.