Yoga is a popular exercise at home and the gym. With the increasing range of yoga DVD’s available, yoga is a great exercise for the home as it doesn’t require any expensive specialist equipment. One piece of equipment that isn’t expensive but is useful is an exercise mat. An exercise mat can be used in the home or in the gym so if you mix your yoga between professional classes at the gym and home exercise then an exercise mat is useful for both as they are easily transportable.
Guide to choosing a Yoga Exercise Mat
Thickness
Whether you use your yoga exercise mat in the home or at the gym the thickness can be an important factor. If you use the exercise mat on wooden floors then you want enough cushioning and support to protect your body when holding poses and putting stress on your joints. If you are using your exercise mat on a carpet you may need less cushioning as there will be some cushioning provided by the carpet.
Material
Their are various materials available. Popular materials are PVC and rubber as these are easily to clean as you will be sweating and certain poses do have a lot of your body in contact with the exercise mat. So these materials need to be wipeable. PVC and rubber also tend to be more durable. They also provide an amount of traction so stop your mat slipping when you exert pressure on it in certain poses. You can get material yoga exercise mats so make sure these are washable in some form.
Size
Size is important as quite a few poses involve a lot of floor body contact so if you are quite tall you want to make sure your yoga exercise mat will accommodate all of the area touching the floor. Also when moving from one pose to another to aid flow the bigger the surface area the better as you don’t have to shuffle but can flow from one pose to another.
Storage
If you do yoga in multiple locations such as at the gym and at home then some yoga exercise mats come with bags which makes them easily transportable so if your gym doesn’t provide mats or you prefer to use your own exercise mat you can do so easily. Also if you only use the mat at home then rolling it up and putting it away is a good idea and you want to know that when it is unrolled it will retain its flexibility.
Colour
While colour isn’t the most important factor to consider it is a consideration none the less. If you have a favourite colour then an exercise mat in this colour may encourage you to exercise more and give your all through your yoga routine.
