Why use a yoga mat instead of a gym or Pilates mat?
The yoga mat is totally adapted to the practice: grip, comfort, ecology, inspiration for spirituality.
Do you want to start yoga and do you have a gym or Pilates mat? Are you wondering if it is suitable for practicing asanas? Even if their length and width are the same, i.e. 172 to 182 cm long and 61 cm wide, the answer is no! A gym mat is for the gym. Indeed, the grip and thickness of your soul mat must be suitable for yoga in order to prevent any risk of injury, especially during dynamic sequences and balances. In addition to this, the Pilates mat is not at all eco-friendly unlike the ecological yoga mat . As you will have understood, for yoga, prefer a yoga mat .
The yoga mat is non-slip
Practicing yoga requires performing balancing postures and sometimes dynamic sequences. Safety must be at the rendezvous so as not to injure yourself and progress without fear of hurting yourself! So, the soul mat must be non-slip, especially on the floor, so as not to slip during asanas. All yoga mats are grippy, especially if you choose them in natural rubber. However, gym or Pilates mats are not always, because they are made with different materials such as memory foam or foam rubber. Moreover, you may have noticed that they are smoother to the touch.
The thickness of the floor mat suitable for yoga
Asanas can sometimes be demanding, that is to say they mobilize the back and joints or you hold a balance for a few minutes. It is therefore important to choose a comfortable soul mat , even more so if you have fragile joints, but not too thick either in order to easily maintain stability without sinking into your equipment. On the market, you can find yoga mats with a thickness of 1.5 to 8 mm. As for the Pilates mat, it is thicker, sometimes even more than 8 mm, because the exercises are mainly done on the floor. Therefore, the latter is not at all suitable for practicing yoga, because it is too thick.
An eco-friendly yoga mat
Most gym mats are made of PVC, a toxic and non-recyclable material. Yoga mats can be as well. However, there are eco-friendly yoga mats made of natural rubber (e.g. rubber), wool, organic cotton, jute, cork or even Oeko-tex certified PVC without chemicals.
An eco-friendly yoga mat with markers
Have you noticed that some quality yoga mats have markers (especially lines) drawn on them? Why? To facilitate your alignment when performing postures. The Pilates mat does not have any. Therefore, if you are a beginner, prefer a soul mat with this type of markers, especially if you practice alone at home.
A soul mat with an inspiring design
A yoga mat is also an inspiring design like the beautiful yoga equipment from the Yoga Design Lab brand offering different designs. This motivates you to practice your asanas while reflecting your personality.
