ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING AN EXERCISE AND HOLDING AN OBJECT USED IN THE EXERCISE
The present invention is an article comprising a loop of inelastic material for use by a person to perform an exercise on a mat and that is capable of holding a rolled mat. If the exercise is yoga, the loop is a multi-functional device that can be used a strap, a cushion, a slip-prevention article and as a towel. Stitching can be provided to provide visual guidance for proper posture. The loop has a length equal to or greater than 15 inches such that it can be knotted by the person to hold the rolled mat either by hand or across the shoulder before and after yoga.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/849,216 filed Aug. 31, 2007, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/830,541 filed Apr. 22, 2004, the entire disclosures of both are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an article and method for performing an exercise and holding an object used in the exercise and, more particularly, to an article and method for performing an exercise, such as yoga, and holding a mat used in the exercise.
2. Description of the Related Art
Yoga is a popular exercise in the United States. Its popularity stems from its ability to provide physical and mental fitness in a simple manner. All that is required is the ability to execute and maintain a series of body poses typically on a mat. Although the body poses appear to be easy, they are in practice very difficult to achieve and maintain.
To achieve a given body pose, a yoga student must first learn the correct posture for the pose. Each yoga pose requires proper placement of the arms, legs, head, etc. The correct posture for a pose is commonly taught by a yoga instructor. The instructor adjusts the yoga student as the student tries to achieve the pose. Yoga, however, is also practiced alone or without the assistance of an instructor. In these situations, the yoga student may not remember or even know the correct posture for the pose.
Even if the yoga student knows the correct posture for the pose, she must be able to maintain the pose. This can be very difficult, particularly for a beginning student. For example, one yoga pose requires the student to lay on her back and raise one leg for a period of time. Most beginning students can hold this simple pose for only a short duration of time. To assist the student to hold the pose, a nylon strap is commonly used to provide support. The strap is placed around the foot of the leg. The student then holds the two ends of the strap with her hands and raises the leg. By pulling on the end of the straps, the student supports the leg in the raised position. The strap is very helpful, and many yoga students have such straps as part of their yoga gear.
Another yoga pose requires the student to maintain a push-up like position, known as the plank pose, for a period of time. Holding this pose for a period of time places great stress on the shoulders, arms and hands. Because yoga mats are usually thin, this pose can quickly become painful to maintain. Most beginning students can hold this pose for only a short duration of time. To assist the student in this pose (and other poses), a cushion or cushion blocks are commonly used to reduce the stress on the shoulders and arms. Such blocks are very helpful and may also be part of a typical yoga student's gear.
Another difficulty in maintaining poses such as the plank pose is slippage. One of the hallmarks of yoga is its ability to generate internal “heat” or perspiration. After a series of poses, most yoga students have perspired on their mats and have wet hands. Poses, such as the plank pose, that require firm contact between the hands and the mat are difficult to maintain when the mat and the student's hands are wet. The hands can slip along the mat even if the student uses a mat with a sticky material designed to prevent such slippage. Such slippage results in the end of the hold and possibly can lead to injury. Yoga students commonly overcome this problem by placing a slender towel across the mat. The student then places her hands on the towel during such poses as the plank pose. The towel not only prevents the hands from slipping along the mat, but also dries the hands and the mat.
Thus, a yoga student may take a number of pieces of yoga gear to a class. She may take a mat, a nylon strap or straps, a cushion or cushion blocks, a towel to prevent slippage and a towel for drying her face and body during and after yoga. Many yoga students also take a bag for the mat. The bag prevents the yoga mat from being undone before and after class. Yoga bags are typically elongated pouch-like bags in which a rolled yoga mat is placed. Two disadvantages of such bags are that they do not allow the mat to breath and dry-out after class and they can be bulky.
Taking all this gear to practice yoga can be cumbersome. If the student is practicing yoga in a class, she may not have the space to place all this gear around her mat. Even if she has the space, the unloading of the gear before practicing yoga and packing of the gear after practicing yoga can be time-consuming. Such unloading and packing can also be particularly distracting for yoga, which seeks to give the student a serene mind-set. Furthermore, while some of the gear may assist the student in maintaining a pose, none of the gear can visually guide the student to the correct posture for the pose. Also, the yoga bag does not allow the mat to breathe and dry-out after class.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne embodiment of the present invention is an article comprising a loop of inelastic material for use by a person to perform an exercise on a mat. If the exercise is yoga, the loop of inelastic material can be used to perform yoga in many different ways. The loop can be used as a strap to assist in maintaining poses such as the raised leg pose discussed above. The loop can also be placed across the yoga mat. The loop of inelastic material not only provides a cushion for poses such as the plank pose, but it can also prevent slippage. Furthermore, the loop has a length equal to or greater than 15 inches such that it can be knotted by the person to hold the rolled mat either by hand or across the shoulder before and after yoga. Because the yoga mat is held by a loop of inelastic material, the mat can breathe and dry-out after class.
The yoga student thus does not need to bring to class nylon straps, cushion blocks, a towel to prevent slippage and a yoga bag for the mat. The loop of inelastic material is multi-functional by being capable of use during yoga as a strap, a cushion block, and a slip-prevention article and by being capable of holding a rolled mat used in yoga. The yoga student simply shows up to class or anywhere she performs yoga just with her loop and mat. Because the loop is used during yoga, there is no gear to be placed around her mat. Moreover, there is no time-consuming unloading of gear before class and packing of gear after class. The elimination of extensive unloading and packing allows the yoga student to concentrate on achieving the proper mind-set, which is an important aspect of performing yoga.
In one aspect, the inelastic material is a towel-type fabric. The use of such fabric prevents slippage on the mat if the loop is used during yoga. The yoga student can also use the loop of towel-type fabric to dry her face and body during and after yoga, thereby eliminating the need to bring a towel to class.
In another aspect, the loop of inelastic can visually guide the yoga student to the correct posture of a pose. The loop may have stitching or even hand positions indicating where the student's hands should be placed for a pose such as the plank pose.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for performing an exercise on a mat and holding the mat upon completion of the exercise. The method comprises providing a loop of inelastic material for use during the exercise. The method further includes arranging the loop to hold the mat upon completion of the exercise.
This method can be used to perform yoga and hold a yoga mat in one aspect. In a further aspect, the step of arranging comprises placing the yoga mat on the loop so as to form an opening extending to each end of the loop and guiding one end through the opening at the other end such that the mat is held by the loop. In this manner, the yoga mat can be simply held by the loop used during yoga.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of making a loop of inelastic material for performing an exercise on a mat and holding the mat upon completion of the exercise comprising: providing a first and second panel of inelastic material, each having a length between 20 to 40 inches, providing a third and fourth panel of inelastic material, each having a length between 6 to 30 inches, and connecting the first, second, third and fourth panels together to form the loop. In a further aspect, the panels are connected by stitching. Any of the details of the description herein can be used in manufacturing an article.
These and other features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, when read with the drawings and the claims.
In the following description, reference is made to accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.
In
The first embodiment also includes stitching along the upper periphery 10 and the lower periphery 11. An edge stitch is used for both the upper periphery 10 and the lower periphery 11. Such peripheral edge stitching prevents the upper and lower peripheries 10 and 11 of the loop 1 from fraying. Fraying can result from use of the loop 1 during an exercise. If the loop is made from an inelastic material that is washable, such as terry cloth, the peripheral edge stitching also prevents fraying due to washing.
Of course, stitches other than an edge stitch can be used, and different types of stitches can be used for the upper periphery 10 and the lower periphery 11. Although
The material of the loop 1 is inelastic. The inelasticity prevents the loop from stretching in exercises, such as yoga, that may require the loop 1 to be pulled with force. The material illustrated in
Many different types of terry-cloth or terry-cloth like fabrics can be used, such as corduroy toweling, glass toweling, huck toweling, knit terry, French terry, terry velvet, Turkish toweling, two-sided terry, preshrunk terry and velour toweling, all of which can be made with cut pile or uncut, looped pile. The terry cloth can be made with cotton or a cotton/polyester blend.
Terry-cloth or terry-cloth like fabrics are not the only towel-type fabrics that can be used. Other types of towel-type fabrics may be used, such as microfiber and absorbent cotton blends. Furthermore, inelastic materials that are not a towel-type fabric may be used, such as nylon and polyester blends.
Logos, images, words and the like may also be placed on the exterior surface and the interior surface of loop 1.
The person 20 is performing the plank pose by extending his body along the vertical or y-direction of the mat 30. His hands 21 and 22 are positioned on the loop 1 between seams 6 and 9.
Aside from visual guidance, the loop 1 acts as cushion. Loop 1 is made of towel-type fabric, such as terry-cloth and, in this arrangement, has two layers. Panel 3 and half of panels 4 and 5 constitute a bottom layer, while panel 2 and the other half of panels 4 and 5 constitute a top layer. Two layers of towel-type fabric can reduce the stress on the shoulders, arms and hands associated with the plank pose.
The loop 1 also prevents the hands 21 and 22 from slipping along the mat 30 in at least two ways. First, the towel-type fabric absorbs the perspiration in the hands and on the mat. Second, the towel-type fabric of loop 1 prevents the hands 21 and 22 and the loop itself from slipping along the mat 30.
Although
The loop 1 is collapsed onto itself in the same manner as in
Although
The loop is not limited to being used in exercises relating to positioning the body, such as in yoga, pilates and stretching. The loop can be used in exercises such as hiking and spinning, which involves stationary bicycles. Typically, in spinning, an instructor leads a class through an imaginary bicycle course and requires the students to perform upper body exercises while cycling. The loop can be hitched around the handles of a bicycle. This allows perspiration from the bicycle rider to be absorbed. By looping the loop around the handles, the rider can easily access the loop for drying her face and body. Furthermore, the loop can be used during spinning to provide for upper body exercises such as stretching of the arms.
The present invention is not limited to holding a mat or even a holding function. The loop can be configured to hold other equipment used in the exercise. For example, the loop can be used to hold a water bottle or other equipment used in performing the exercise of hiking. The loop can provide uses other than holding such as upper body exercises and absorption as discussed above with respect to spinning.
The inventor has determined the range for the height of the loop is between 1 and 15 inches (including 1 inch and 15 inches). Within this range, a range between 6-10 inches is a preferred range for an adult with typical proportions. The length of the loop is defined herein as half of a circumferential measurement of the loop. The inventor has determined the range for the length of the loop is between 15 to 60 inches (or a range between 30 to 120 inches for the circumferential measurement). Within this range of 15 to 60 inches, a preferred range for an adult with typical proportions is between 32 to 38 inches.
Suitable height h and length L dimensions for the loop 1 in
The height and length dimensions can also be smaller, such as 4 or 5 inches by 24 inches. Furthermore, the height h and length L dimensions can be any combination within their respective ranges (1 to 15 inches for height and 15 to 60 inches for length) as discussed above.
It should be noted that the dimensions are not limited to a minimum and maximum range. For example, the length L of the loop 1 can be equal to or greater than 15 inches in order to be knotted by a person as shown in
Lengths l1, l2 and l3 in
It should be noted shapes other than a circle and a rectangle can be used. Moreover, the shape does not have to be in the panel. The shape can be an arcuate periphery or a cut-out of the periphery or peripheries. Of course, a loop can have more than one opening or shape, such as having an opening in each of two opposing panels.
Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An article comprising: a loop of inelastic material configured for use by a person to perform an exercise on a mat, said mat capable of being rolled up after completion of the exercise, wherein the loop has a length equal to or greater than 15 inches and the loop is further configured to be knotted by the person to hold the rolled mat.
2. The article of claim 1 wherein the loop comprises a plurality of panels connected together.
3. The article of claim 2 wherein the plurality of panels comprises a first, second, third and fourth panel, each panel having a first and second end.
4. The article of claim 3 wherein the first ends of the first and second panels are connected respectively to the first and second ends of the third panel and the second ends of the first and second panels are connected respectively to the first and second ends of the fourth panel.
5. The article of claim 4 wherein each of the first and second panels has a length between 27 inches and 35 inches.
6. The article of claim 4 wherein the first ends of the first and second panels are stitched respectively to the first and second ends of the third panel and the second ends of the first and second panels are stitched respectively to the first and second ends of the fourth panel.
7. The article of claim 6 further comprising an upper periphery and a lower periphery, each of said upper and lower periphery having stitching.
8. The article of claim 4 wherein the first and second panels have a first color and the third and fourth panels have a second color.
9. The article of claim 1 wherein the non-elastic material is a towel-type fabric.
10. The article of claim 9 wherein the towel-type fabric is terry cloth.
11. The article of claim 1 wherein the exercise is yoga and wherein the mat is a yoga mat.
12. The article of claim 1 wherein the loop is incapable of being undone.
13. The article of claim 1 wherein the length of the loop is equal to or less than 60 inches.
14. The article of claim 13 wherein the length of the loop is between 32 and 38 inches.
15. A method of performing an exercise on a mat and holding the mat upon completion of the exercise, comprising:
- providing a loop of inelastic material for use during the exercise; and
- knotting the loop to hold the mat upon completion of the exercise.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the exercise is yoga and the mat is a yoga mat.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of knotting comprises:
- placing the yoga mat on the loop so as to separate the loop into a first loop section and a second loop section; and
- guiding an end of the first loop section through the second loop section such that the mat is held by the loop.
18. A method of making a loop of inelastic material for performing an exercise on a mat and holding the mat upon completion of the exercise, comprising:
- providing a first and second panel of inelastic material, each having a length between 20 to 40 inches;
- providing a third and fourth panel of inelastic material, each having a length between 6 to 30 inches; and
- connecting the first, second, third and fourth panels together to form the loop.
19. The article of claim 1, wherein the loop has a height of at least 6 inches and is made of a towel-type fabric.
20. A combination comprising: a loop of inelastic material and a mat capable of being rolled, said loop having a height of at least 6 inches and configured to allow a user to perform exercises therewith, wherein the loop is further configured to be knotted by the user to hold the mat when rolled.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 15, 2008
Publication Date: Sep 4, 2008
Inventor: Alycia Monet DENHAM (Los Angeles, CA)
Application Number: 12/103,679
International Classification: A63B 26/00 (20060101);