Air track mats are something most people don’t think about very often, but they make an important contribution to our daily lives that shouldn’t be overlooked. Air track mats are resilient, puncture-resistant, and can handle a variety of different weather conditions, making them great for outdoor areas with lots of foot traffic. Here are some fascinating facts about air track mat that will both fascinate and amaze you!
They are filled with helium
Most people don’t realize that air track mats are filled with helium. As you might imagine, it takes a lot of helium to fill these things. In fact, filling them can cost hundreds of dollars. For example, each day an air track mat is full and open to customers can cost about $30 in helium alone.
Inflation is slow but deflation can be fast
Many people think that deflation is a problem of air mat. Yes, deflation is a big issue for business because when there’s more deflation than inflation then it can be negative to run business because of less demand in the market and also companies will have to reduce its production as well as services. Inflation is slow but deflation can be fast if there are situations like technology replacing human labor with machines, politics on the world stage and rate hikes from central banks are not so hard. If you think too much about inflation and deflations then it will create unnecessary fears and won’t help for running your business efficiently. Instead focus on making profit by doing best in your field rather than worrying about such complex issues which have no easy solution at all.
The material used to make them was classified by the Department of Defense until 2011
In a move that left many drivers scratching their heads, air track mats were classified by defense officials until 2011. This designation was given to protect large military contracts from being leaked to foreign nations. Until then, few people knew exactly what made up these unique interlocking matts used for driving and training exercises. The answer is complicated – but once you’ve read #4 on our list of strange facts about air track mats, it’ll all make sense.
NASA uses them for training their astronauts in a low-gravity environment.
NASA uses air track mats to simulate a low-gravity environment. Astronauts can learn how to maneuver in microgravity and practice equipment handling for missions outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Some NASA officials also believe that these mats may provide a stepping stone to Mars, where very high levels of astronaut training are required because conditions are so different from what we experience on Earth.
A giant air track mat floats above Berlin, suspended by zeppelins
In 2003, architecture firm Gerkan, Marg and Partners unveiled a landmark project—an air track mat floating 30 meters above Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport. The giant pad was suspended by zeppelins and moved around by wind turbines. Although it only hung around for four months, it’s now immortalized in Google Maps imagery.
Olympic athletes use them as well as Shaolin monks
The National Institute of Sports and Physical Education in Beijing, China has found that Shaolin monks have increased agility, endurance, and strength after training on air track mats. Olympic athletes are also fond of using them to improve their performance. Who knew? The mat is soft enough for yoga exercises as well. It’s so versatile!
Kung Fu movies were inspired by these mats!
If you’ve ever seen martial arts movies from Hong Kong, China, or Japan, you may have noticed that kung fu fighters often fight on top of air track mats. That’s because these mats were originally used for a performance art known as bagua zhang. Kung fu masters would perform jumps and flips on top of these mats in order to prove their agility and speed.
You can even do wall pushups on an air track mat without hitting your head.
It seems like we’re always hearing about athletes who are hurt in training. If you’re one of them, consider an air track mat for your next workout. These foam mats have three-eighths of an inch of foam between two layers of durable vinyl. Athletes use them for all kinds of exercises, from upper body to core to plyometrics and even yoga. In fact, if it’s a bodyweight exercise you can do on your hands and knees, a track mat is probably a good idea—you don’t want that tile floor getting in your way as you push off with every lunge. On top of that, these mats can double as sleepovers or camping pads…just roll them up after you’re done and they’ll fit right in your gym bag!
Finally, they were originally called space saver mats when first released in 1964.
When they were first invented, they were called space saver mats. They were intended to be used under cars during travel, allowing them to take up less space on boats and trains. They didn’t actually come out with their name until 1975; previously, some also referred to them as anti-fatigue mats. Their original color was blue too—most likely for its association with being clean and calm! Today, air track mats are more often sold as office supplies than anything else. However you like to refer to them though, you can rest assured that air track mats will continue doing their job for many years to come!