Portable abdominal exercise mat

An abdominal exercise mat apparatus consisting essentially of:

• an elongate flexible mat terminating proximally in a first end and distally in a second end, with a pair of opposing lateral edges extending therebetween, the mat sized and configured for allowing a user to lie face-up on a top surface of the mat, with the user's head in contact with the top surface proximal the first end and the user's feet in flat contact with the top surface proximal the second end, when the mat is positioned on a stable surface;
• and
• the first end of the mat providing a pair of laterally offset loops configured for receiving a relatively rigid elongate handle portion partially spaced apart from the first end, allowing a user to grasp the handle portion with at least one of the user's hands;
• whereby, during use of the apparatus on a stable surface with the user lying face-up on a top surface of the mat, their head proximal the first end and their feet proximal the second end, the top surface conforms to, and remains in substantially continuous contact with, the user's back and head as the user grasps the handle portion above their head and pushes it upward while elevating their shoulder blades off the stable surface.

An abdominal exercise mat apparatus comprising:

• an elongate flexible mat terminating proximally in a first end and distally in a second end, with a pair of opposing lateral edges extending therebetween, the distance between the first and second ends being at least sixty eight inches, and the distance between the lateral edges being between twenty four and thirty inches at the mat's widest point;
• and
• a relatively rigid elongate handle portion engaged with and extending laterally along at least a portion of the first end of the mat, the handle portion partially spaced apart from the first end, allowing the user to grasp the handle portion with at least one of the user's hands;
• whereby, during use of the apparatus on a stable surface with the user lying face-up on the top surface of the mat, their head proximal the first end and their feet proximal the second end, the top surface conforms to, and remains in substantially continuous contact with, the user's back and head as the user grasps the handle portion above their head and pushes it upward while elevating their shoulder blades off the stable surface.