All About Yoga Mats
If you are a beginner to Yoga, you may be tempted to make the same mistake I made when purchasing my first floor yoga mat. I went for cheap.
The mat I bought was pretty flimsy and smelled strongly of chemicals. It was also rather slippery on the surface which made it difficult to perform and hold some yoga poses. My hands and feet would begin to slide especially if I was a little sweaty. If you are more experienced than me you will understand the frustration of being poorly supported and sliding out of a pose. At first, the cheap mat was firm and comfortable and gave me the padding I needed, but it wasn't long before it seemed to thin out and I felt the floor as if I wasn't using a mat at all.
I also learned that leaving this mat in a closed car in hot weather caused a really strong chemical smell in the car. As it is made of plastic, those vapours are likely carcinogenic. This is not my idea of a good product.
You can choose natural materials in a mat such as cork and jute and bamboo, but they will tend to absorb sweat and become stained in short order. Especially if you practise hot yoga. They also tend to wear out quickly if you are a regular user so I don't recommend them.
I learned that there is a surprising amount of thought and technology that goes into a good quality exercise floor mat.
The Eco Mat, for instance is made using natural rubber, in layers with cotton sheets that make it strong and resilient. The makers use no chemical glues to bond the layers together. You won't slip on it and it stays put and flat when moving through poses. The manufacturing process is environmentally friendly and it looks to be the best sticky yoga mat I could find.
Yes you can use a Pilates mat for yoga but you should be aware of the differences. Pilates mats are much thicker than yoga mats as more padding from the floor is necessary with pilates exercises than with yoga. Also, they tend not to be sticky but rather can have slippery surfaces. If you intend to practice yoga but need extra padding, you should look for a thick yoga mat with extra padding as well as a non-slippery surface.
Hugger Mugger Yoga Products, Reebok, Giaim, Eco, and Airex all make and market quality mats for yoga and other sports.
|
