What's a good surface for home upstairs workout area?

Resolve2B · February 2014

I'm in the midst of creating a workout space for myself in one end of our cavernous master bedroom. I want to devote enough space to house my treadmill (it's there now) and have room next to it to do workouts (e.g., Jillian Michaels DVDs).

The room is carpeted but I find that sometimes carpeting is actually "slippery" ( like when doing things like mountain climbers--I hate to wear shoes and it's so cold that I prefer to wear socks). Also I would like to "define" the area visually as a separate "space" for working out (sort of a psychological thing...but we all know that motivation has a huge investment in what's going on in the mind!!).

Looking for recommendations...One thought is to just put an area rug down in the space of a grippier nap than the wall-to-wall carpet. How about rubber matting of some kind--anyone have a good suggestion for type/brand?

april1445 · February 2014

gaiam yoga mats, or any yoga mat, would give you lots of grip, and they're easy to put away. I do JM workouts in my office, in a roughly 8 by 6 foot area--maybe a little bigger because of angles, but not very big.

ReinasWrath · February 2014

Try out a yoga/pilates mat! It will give you more grip than your carpet and it will be portable so when you're all done kicking *kitten* you can pack it up and have that space back, plus they're pretty cheap which is always a nice bonus ;D

timbrom · February 2014

This sounds like it may be heavier-duty than you need, but you can get horse stall mats from places like Tractor Supply Company that are 4' x 6' sheets of 3/4" rubber. They're pretty much indestructible, and weigh about 80 lbs each. $35. You can get something pretty similar from gym supply stores but they'll charge north of $100 per sheet.

One big downside in your situation though is that they tend to smell a bit, especially when you first get them. The ones I got were stored with chicken feed, and my basement smelled like chicken feed for a week. Not a big deal in the basement, but a bit annoying in the bedroom.

Resolve2B · February 2014

Thanks for the replies!

I did some Google search after posting this and saw the horse stall mats recommendation a number of times! They do sound pretty heavy though so probably a good alternative for a basement more than a bedroom space.

I had ruled out Yoga mats because i wanted something bigger than the size one typically sees in stores. Lo and behold! I found one in a 6' x 6' size that looks like it will be just the right thing! Best price I've found is this:

http://www.everythingyoga.com/Everything-Yoga-Maendy-Mat--6-Foot-Square-Yoga-Mat_p_2678.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=4314&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=32363738&gclid=CO6TopDTybwCFUhgMgodhBwABQ

GeorgeL583 · February 2014

http://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-Puzzle-Mat-piece/dp/B0041FQZMW/ref=sr_1_5?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1392331106&sr=1-5

Here's another option, you can make it as large as you want. Cheers

GeorgeL583 · February 2014

The link I posted doesn't seem to be active.

mudknuckles · February 2014

Ice

Leadfoot_Lewis · February 2014

I second purchasing a Horse Stall Mat from Tractor Supply Co. The store I bought mine from had them outside so the mat has no odor. The mat is 4'x'6, 3/4" thick, and weighs 100lbs, and cost $40. I bought one to put my GHD on & wished I would have known about them a couple of years ago when I spent 3x that for an exercise mat.

scottburger104 · February 2014

Check out Manduka. They have the best mats available and even have a large one which might suit your purpose. I use their black mat in my home office personally. Cant beat their lifetime warranty either.

What's a good surface for home upstairs workout area?

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