Why Do Some Sports Use Rubber Flooring for Training?
Rubber flooring serves one main purpose: to protect. Rubber flooring protects not only the floor underneath it from damage but also the athlete from incurring injury by providing cushioning. Here’s an in-depth look into why some sports use rubber flooring for training.
Protects the Training Space
Some sports can be very rough on the floor. Strength training, for example, often involves routines incorporating weights and other heavy equipment that constantly hit the floor. Every time you drop a weighty piece of equipment, the floor’s surface is at risk of damage from the impact. Having this kind of wear-and-tear without protection can destroy just about any floor very quickly. Luckily, weight room flooring is available and is designed to prevent such damage. By installing rubber flooring, the underlying surface is protected and ready to withstand years of abuse.
Protects Athletes From Injury
Some forms of exercise are harder on the body than others. Aerobics or CrossFit are good examples of these. When you engage in these types of exercises, one of the ways to protect against injury is ensuring you are using indoor sports flooring. This will lessen the impact on your joints and on the rest of your body.
Try to imagine what happens when you strike a punching bag – the kinetic energy from the impact gets transferred to the bag and spreads so that your fist does not suffer damage. Now envision the same scenario, but instead of a punching bag, you’re hitting a hard surface (i.e. a granite floor). The same principle is at play when you are jumping, running, and exercising on the floor. A surface that provides cushion and resilience allows for that energy to dissipate on impact, protecting your body from harm. A hard surface, on the other hand, is an injury waiting to happen.
Improves Efficiency and Reduces Fatigue
To understand the vast difference a proper athletic surface can make, all you need to do is try doing a set of jumping jacks on a hard surface and then doing another set on something softer, like a rubber floor. Beyond just protecting your joints, rubber sports flooring can help reduce fatigue by allowing the athlete to work out longer, thus making their exercise session much more effective.
Not Just for Exercise
Rubber sports flooring is not just used for weight training, and fitness activities, but for sports as well. Many ice rinks use rubber flooring for their perimeters and bench areas since the surface offers a durable, sturdy, and safe surface for people to walk with skates on. Multi-purpose athletic facilities often use sports flooring as it’s a good solution for a variety of sports such as soccer, basketball, and volleyball. For children’s play areas, nothing could be more suitable than sports flooring comprised of rubber.
Are you ready to improve your exercise space with the best flooring options in the market? If so, you are in the right place. At Specialized Fitness Resources, we are the industry leader in sports surfacing, specialty rubber products, and equipment. Contact us today at 305-752-0451 to request a quote.