Does the mat balance shock attenuation and resilience (absorb and return energy)?
The ability to attenuate or absorb shock without bottoming out ensures the impact of falls and sudden movements on the mat is cushioned adequately without causing injury. Too much absorption, however, may create the same sensation as standing in sand, which may absorb shock but is very uncomfortable as a working surface. When balanced with the right amount of elasticity (resilience), a mat can result in less discomfort. Question 6. Does the mat get softer as it is compressed? A popular yet faulty logic indicates that if a hard surface is bad to stand on, then a soft surface is good. In response to this erroneous assumption, many mat surfaces are constructed from foam materials. Regardless of the variations in construction, from domed foam geometries to draped top-covers with various surface textures, there is one challenge shared by all foam-based mats: Foam gets harder as it is compressed. So if the objective is merely to provide a softer surface, why do it with a material that gets h
