Poll: Crash mat use?
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OK! Good! Glad I didn't give the wrong impression. Also Anna's suggestion about using upholstery foam from Joann Fabrics is a good one and one I often suggest to students who cannot afford a regular mat for at home.
How many of you own, attend or have attended a studio which uses crash mats? Never been to a studio that has one 🙁 How many of you wish or think studios SHOULD use them if they don't? they should all have them 🙂 How many of you use a crash mat or would prefer to have one to use at home? I have one at home and LOVE it...use it all the time when trying the harder funkier stuff...my pad and a spotter!
I have a 5" thick crash mat and I would NOT be doing inverted moves at all, were it not for that mat! I've only been to a couple of studios that have them--LiveOnce in Milton and Aradia Brampton (not real crash mats). I think all studios SHOULD have them, but they are very tough to get ahold of in Canada! It took me 5 weeks to get mine--2 just to get ahold of Alena Downs at Polejunkies! To order a Lil Mynx one would've cost $145 in shipping on a $199 mat 😮 I even tried contacting mattress and gym mat manufacturers, but they weren't interested in putting one together for less than a run of 25-50!!!
Crash mats in Canada http://www.cobourgfitness.com/apps/webstore/products/show/1867315
I don't have a proper crash mat but use 2 mattresses at home. Better than nothing.
Ive seen a mat at my studio but Ive never seen it in action! - But then again, I dont go very often either. I learned all of my moves w out one, but would LOVE to have one at home. I have no spotter and no mat! My hubby is worried about me poling at my age and says if I need a spotter I shouldnt be doing it- so I do w out!
Paulette...point out to your hubby that even little children in gymnastics have a spotter and/or crash mat when learning so your age has nothing to do with it...it's just good practice. No one is "good enough" at something until they learn how to do it.
I own a crash mat. It is 5 inches thick and I love it. I have fallen (nothing serious thankfully) and do still use emergency exits even though I have had the mat practically from the beginning. For me there is not a lot of options, I am often here alone and there is no studios near me. I would not be half as far as I am without it. Moves that scare me I may wait for the man to be home but some weeks we barely see each other. I have hardwood floors and can't imagine learning some of the advanced moves without it.
I am considering dipping into my savings now to get the crash mat rather than wait a couple of months...we are starting to do a lot more aerial tricks in class now that I want to practice at home. Honestly, I have been practicing pole & silks WITHOUT a mat for a long time but its a pretty stupid thing to do! My husband freaks out all the time and I don;t blame him. Oddly enough I feel I need the mat more for pole than for silks.
Also, my studio has those round pink crash mats. Generally we are taught to spot each other at a higher level classes/moves and the mats get pulled out at student request or when the instructor feels strongly about teaching the trick that way.
Kobajo84 ·
How many of you own, attend or have attended a studio which uses crash mats? I own & currently attend a studio that uses crash mats. My former studio I worked for does not use them. How many of you wish or think studios SHOULD use them if they don't? I think all studios should use them- which is how I acquired my own. I was teaching at a studio that wouldn't buy one after I repeatedly asked for one so I just bought my own and used it for my classes. How many of you use a crash mat or would prefer to have one to use at home? I'm glad I bought my own because I use it a lot at home now. 🙂
tarah ·
i have only been to two studios, and neither had crash mats. i have one at home that i use when i'm learning a new potentially dangerous move (like straight edge, and brass monkey most recently).
Popcorn ·
The studio I first went to didn't, and I really wish they did. I since started either poling at home or at a friend's place (past year +). We both have thick crash mats, and I'm so thankful we do. I've had a couple of rough tumbles, and I really like the option of collapsing out of a new trick that's become too painful to hold. It's a sure sign I've pushed myself too far, but makes sure I don't get hurt.
I know there are pros/cons, but I have one and am glad I do. I was able to get it for great price from a studio in my area that closed down. I was sad it closed, but thankful for the mat. I've been to a couple of studios who didn't have them and I was uneasy trying new things. I love the studio I go to that has them. Thank you TG :)
Cinara ·
There are four pole studios in my area. I've been to three and none use or even own crash mats. As far as I know the fourth studio doesn't either. Even at home I've never used a crash mat. I have also done gymnastics and trampolining and there were plenty of crash mats and soft landing places there. They didn't stop me getting a broken arm, cracked sternum, soft tissue neck injuries that still bother me, spinal stress fractures, a broken toe, a chronically messed-up ankle, or my friend from getting a nasty concussion. I think the difference with pole is that you are never really letting go - even in drops you're still sort-of in contact, so you always have that safety outlet. In my other sports you can be completely airbourne so there's no always such a fast escape (well, there is - landing on your back - but that requires a mat). One of the disadvantages of mats is that I think they could cause people to take more risks because they have that extra safety there. (At least, I would). Also, I prefer pole dance that integrates dancing with tricks - I get bored very quickly if I'm only learning tricks. A mat kind of stops you practicing your basic dance and floorwork - even just the little incidental things like standing up gracefully. That has made a huge difference to my dance skills. Of course, that's my personal preference. If it was my insurance premiums I might feel differently, and I wouldn't begrudge anyone else using a mat. But for myself? I'd never ever use one. I know myself well enough that if I'm scared to do a move without one, it means I'm not ready to do it, or I haven't figured out how it could go wrong and how to land safely. And yes, accidents can still happen, but they can happen with a mat too. I would hate being forced to use a crash mat - almost as much as I'd hate being forced to be spotted.
We use crash mats in lessons-they are not fat and squishy more like gymnastics mats. I use cushions from my sofa for at home, great for landing on but not standing on as they move on my laminate floor :-/ Heard people use foam mattress toppers which I think is a good idea. I don't think you should learn new pole moves unless you have a mat underneath you!
I always use a crash mats, my students always use it and a spoter; we have a lot of mats in Studio 409. It's very important!
litlbit ·
NO STUDENT POLES IN MY STUDIO WITHOUT USING A CRASH MAT!!!! If someone would refuse I would ask them to leave! Not only is it REQUIRED by my insurance carrier, but if I didn't and there was an incident it INVALIDATES my insurance coverage! I STRESS SAFETY, if you come to my studio you WILL do it my way or not at all!! I care enough about my students to and their well being to keep them physically safe...yes you can still get injured, but with a mat and a spotter the trauma is less. After you have learned and mastered the move and I personally approve you, then you may invert without with a spotter. It is for the STUDENTS SAFETY and so I can stay in Business to continue to provide qulity pole to the community!! :)
LindaLu ·
How many of you own, attend or have attended a studio which uses crash mats? The main studio I attended did not have any crash mats. I did attend a class at a studio that utilized a crash mat when teaching a new inverted move. The overall feeling of that class was much more professional than it would have been sans crash mat. How many of you wish or think studios SHOULD use them if they don't? I think all studios should use them. As was mentioned previously, they should not take anything away from spotting, they should be an additional safety measure. In my opinion, their use should be required on a move until both student and instructor feel that the move has been mastered. How many of you use a crash mat or would prefer to have one to use at home? I bought one for my home for safety since I was poling alone and wouldn't have anyone to call for help for me if I were to fall. It is my "buddy sytem" lol.
Cinara ·
Honestly, I'm not sure how a thin tumbling mat or yoga mat is going to do anything to protect you from major injuries - a crash mat maybe in some circumstances, but the only thing I can see a thin mat preventing is a few bruises. Still, if it's an insurance requirement, there's no choice. To those who insist on mats and spotters, it's not really relevant because I don't live near you, but, I would certainly respect the rules of your studio and not try to invert without a spotter or try things without a crash mat. I also wouldn't come back, because it wouldn't work for me. But I still support your decision, and I would still recommend your studio to other people. :-)
I don't think that a thin mat or yoga mat IS a crash mat...and those who consider it one are not being any more responsible than those not using one. Based on our experience in developing the recent insurance plan with our insurance broker and different companies we interviewed we noticed that more of the insurance companies were asking about their use and some already demanding it (as previously mentioned) and I believe it's going to be a necessity with most insurance companies eventually.
I guess I never fully answered my own questions at the start: yes we have crash mats at our studio and use them consistently for learning new moves along with being spotted by an instructor (never another student) until the instructor has cleared them to do it on their own without a mat. I use to keep a crash mat at home but don't any longer as I simply don't practice new inverts at home but I use it at the studio when I'm practicing.
