Gymnastics air tracks extremely useful for training, not only for gymnastics but for other sports and even yoga as well. You have quite possibly heard that these air tracks can be taken with you, which is one of the main advantages of air tracks.
Are gymnastics air tracks mobile? Yes, gymnastics air tracks are quite mobile and can be moved around to wherever you need them. Air tracks normally come with a carrying bag similar to a back pack. Overall air tracks are very easy to transport.
There are things that you will want to consider when you are moving your air track. Also, you should take precautions and be careful when you move your air track so that you do not damage your air track.
Therefore, simply knowing that your air track is mobile is not enough information. While some things might be common sense, knowing a little more about the best ways to move your air track around can help your air track to last you as long as possible.
Moving Your Air Track Around
A gymnastics air track is full of literally nothing but air, and this makes the track very light. When you get your air track, either from the store or delivered to your home, the weight of it rolled up in the box is going to be almost exactly the same weight of the track when it has been aired up.
There are many different sizes of air tracks, from small to extremely long. Air tracks that are longer are obviously going to weigh more. However, length is not the only determining factor in how much your air track weighs.
Some air tracks are made to be lighter so you can move them around a little easier. These are mostly for indoor use and are not fit for extended outdoor use. Heavier fabrics are more likely to be waterproof, have UV protection, and other features that add both to the durability and the weight.
It is entirely possible to move your air track while it is still inflated, which can save a lot of time in getting all the air out of it and then having to inflate it again. However, you have to take care when you move your track like this.
For starters, dragging your air track on the ground can cause a puncture if there is anything sharp on the ground at all. Even if there is nothing sharp that punctures your air track, there is still the fact that the friction will wear on the threads in your air track.
You may not see this wear on your track if you only drag it for short distances on rare occasions. However, it is far better to have one person on each end and to lift the air track to carry it to its new spot.
Taking Down And Setting Back Up
If you are moving your air track a long distance, such as taking it on vacation with you, then you may have no choice but to get the air out of your air track before you move it. This is obviously more trouble than just picking up your air track and moving it, but it is not too hard to do.
Different air tracks require different methods to get the air out of them, so you will have to read the directions. Once at least most of the air is out of the air track, go to the end that is furthest away from the air valve where the air goes in and out at.
Start rolling the air track up from that end as tightly as you can while you squeeze the air out along the way. If your air track was set up on the grass outdoors, you might want to have a damp washrag to clean your air track a little as you roll it up.
However, don’t get your air track too wet, especially if your track is not waterproof. It can be quite difficult, but not necessarily impossible, to roll up your air track tight enough to fit back in the plastic bag that air tracks often come in.
If you did not keep this bag, then you will need either bungee cords or ropes to wrap around the rolled-up air track. Once it has been secured, you can pack your air track and move it to wherever you want to set it up at.
Setting your air track back up again is as easy as rolling it back out and using an air pump to get the air back in it. Once there is enough air in your gymnastics air track, you are good to go.
Protecting Your Air Track
When you move your air track to a new spot, whether that move is a short or long distance, you should always protect your air track. There are various ways to protect your air track, the first of which is to clear the area where you plan on setting it up.
Clearing the area thoroughly is one of the most important parts of prep work before setting up your air track. Remember that when training on your air track, you will often be bouncing up and down on it. Therefore, even things that you might not categorize as “sharp” can still damage the threads of your air track.
If you are moving your air track outdoors, you should at least consider placing a protective tarp or something on the ground first. There are tarps that are made to go under gymnastics air track for this purpose.
Having one of these tarps does not mean that you should be any less thorough in combing over the area. However, it can prevent the duller things like rocks from digging into your track. If you only have one of these protective tarps, then you may have to do a little maneuvering when you are moving your air track.
One option is to have two people hold up the air track while a third person moves the tarp before the air track is set down again. Your other option is to have a temporary spot ready so that you can set your air track there and then move the tarp.
Either way, moving a tarp can be a bit of trouble, but it is well worth it to protect your gymnastics air track. Small punctures can be fixed, but you do not want to have too many of these.
Final Notes And Cautions
When moving your gymnastics air track from one place to another, there are certain things that you want to watch out for. As mentioned, dragging your track along the ground should be avoided. Even if you are indoors, there are still small nails and staples in most floors.
There are also nails and staples in door frames. So, if you are carrying your air track through a doorway, try not to brush the frame of the door. Also, be careful when going around a corner, or brushing up against a wall, or anything else that might have a nail or staple in it.
If you are carrying your inflated air track for any distance, you may find the size awkward. Plan ahead for a spot or two where you can set your air track down for a moment. It is also a wise idea to take a measuring tape and to make sure that you will be able to fit.
One factor you may not know you need to watch out for when moving your air track is heat. Heat can melt into your air track if it is concentrated enough. Even a lesser amount of heat, such as setting up on hot, black concrete, can cause bulging in your air track.
Finally, wherever you set up your air track at, be sure that it is alright to set it up there. For example, some gymnastics air tracks do not have UV protection and should, therefore, not be out in the sun. The same is true about setting up near water if your air track is not waterproof.