Training & Nutrition - Floor Mat for trainer

Does a floor mat for a trainer truly serve specific purpose or can any old mat or none at all work okay?

Specifically, I'm wondering if a trainer specific mat has any sound dampening properties as I live in a 5th floor walkup and don't want to drive my downstairs neighbor crazy. I have hardwood floors and just started testing out a used trainer, didn't seem to have much trouble with it sliding since most of myweight is going straight into the floor but it definately was humming and shaking the floor

I don't have any downstairs neighbor experience. But, if you really want to isolate the trainer from the floor, I would use a plywood pad with foam underneath. With the load spread out, even cheap foam would work fine. Alternately, use a pair of boards with foam.

Aside from noise, to keep from marring the floor, some kind of pad is a good idea. I've used old magazines, for instance.

interesting idea, we have something like what you are saying in my gym for doing plyometric exercises. I'm ont worried about marring the floor, it's an old nyc apt, it's marred enough already.

I too have wood flooring but could not justify spending over $40 on a mat so I bought a $10 as-is floor runner at Ikea that works very well.

Also don't forget you're going to be getting a lot of sweat dripping on that floor/pad, so make sure it's easy to clean too!

I have an el-cheapo foam mat from performance under my rollers. It saves the wood floor and is super easy to hose off every once and a while.

I use old tires/tubes under rollers.