Choose the right yoga mat to fit your workout plan

The biggest function of a yoga mat during yoga practice is to support and prevent slipping. Using a suitable yoga mat on a solid and stable ground can prevent injuries to the spine, ankles, hip bones, knee joints, and other areas.

A good yoga mat has strong grip, good resilience, smoothness, and anti slip properties.
Material selection

The common yoga mats on the market can be divided into thermoplastic elastomer mats (TPE), polyvinyl chloride mats (PVC), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer mats (EVA), and nitrile rubber mats (NBR) according to their materials.

The price of TPE mats is relatively high, with good anti slip effect, excellent toughness and elasticity; PVC pads are affordable in price, with a low odor, good resilience, and anti slip effect; NBR pads have low prices, good resilience and softness, average slip resistance and durability, and can cause significant damage after being stabbed by sharp objects; EVA pads have a strong odor and are generally not recommended for use.
Thickness selection

Many people are concerned about how thick to choose for yoga mats. Is thicker better?

The thicker the yoga mat, the better. Being too thick can easily cause the practitioner to stand unsteadily, affect body balance, result in non-standard movements, and even fall and get injured.

CDC suggests:

Beginners can choose thicker yoga mats and switch to thinner mats after a certain foundation is established.

Yoga that focuses on soft training can choose thicker or softer yoga mats.

Strength yoga, flow yoga, or ashtanga yoga, which have a high degree of movement, require thinner and harder mats.

If you feel uncomfortable in your knees when doing some kneeling movements with a thin cushion, you can use a towel under your knees as an aid.
Precautions for choosing a cushion

CDC has collected some tips for choosing yoga mats for your reference.

one

You can pinch the yoga mat with your thumb and index finger. A mat with good resilience has moderate softness and can quickly rebound.

two

Observe whether the surface of the yoga mat is flat, and use an eraser to gently wipe the yoga mat to see if it is easy to break.

three

Gently push the surface of the cushion with your palm to see if there is any dryness. A cushion with obvious dryness has better anti slip effect.

four

You can wet a small piece of yoga mat to simulate sweating. If it feels slippery, it is easy to slip and cause falls during practice.