Fitness Mat

Fitness mats are a great way to make physical health and mental focus fun to achieve. Whether for yoga, Pilates, or just simple stretches and other activities, fitness mats make it easier, relaxing, and fun to reach your goals, both at home and elsewhere.

No matter what type of exercise you are doing, fitness mats serve several purposes: They provide grip and traction so you don’t slide or fall. They offer cushion to make your body more comfortable. And they provide a clean and centered space that is yours to focus on and work within.

Fitness mats come in many different materials. Most are a soft, spongy, rubber that is flexible (the mats should roll up for easy storage and transport). It usually has a subtle texture or pattern to allow for extra grip. Some fitness mats are designed to be specifically eco-friendly, avoiding materials such as latex and PVC and chemicals like chloride.

There are many fitness mat accessories also available. The most popular would be a fitness mat carrying case. Some mats you simply roll up and carry away. Others you can place in a nice case, so the mat stays clean in your car (or closet, depending on how often you use it), does not unravel, and is easy to carry. You can also buy a cord or strap to keep your mat rolled up.

There are also fitness mat cleaners available. Since some of the exercising you do on a yoga mat may not be strenuous, but other exercises will be, especially if you also use the mat for aerobics, or particularly advanced yoga and Pilates exercises. In this case, a mat cleaner (in the form of either a spray or a special cloth) is a good way to keep it smelling fresh and clean.

Fitness mats are most commonly associated with yoga, but as different exercise strategies evolve, merge, and create new activities (such as the blend of yoga and Pilates into “Yogalates”), the different uses of a fitness mat expand along with them. You can use your fitness mat at home, at work, or at your fitness club for not only yoga and Pilates, but also aerobics, stretching, and even certain types of weight training.

Fitness mats are as diverse in price and style as the people who use them (and the activities and exercises for which they are used). From material, size, thickness, color, style, and brand name, there are many variables impacting the price and overall value of a fitness mat. In addition to the mat itself, you should consider how (and how often) you plan to use it.

Here are some of the variables that impact pricing on a fitness mat:

• Thickness. There are different types of thickness mats out there. You are probably imagining the sort of mat that is used for yoga, Pilates, and other small, personal activities. These are usually fairly thin, a half inch or less (1/8 inch is fairly common), as they are not used for high-impact activities, and provide grip but minimal cushion. On the other end, heavy duty, thick, gym-style fitness mats (such as those used in wrestling or gymnastics) can be over 2 inches thick, and are usually more expensive.
• Dimensions. It should go without saying that the more mat you get, the more you pay. For most people, a mat that is 5-6 feet in length and 2 feet wide is a perfect size for most activities.
• Material. This is where much of the price variation comes into play. Most fitness mats are made with a thin, rubbery material. Some are synthetic, while some are natural. Fitness mats marketed as eco-friendly and sustainable generally cost quite a bit more than their traditional, everyday counterparts, so if you are concerned with the environmental impact of your purchasing decision, be prepared to pay a bit more for your mat.
• Color. This may not impact the price (although in some cases it can), but it is a choice you will need to make. Most fitness mats come in cool colors: greens, blues, purples, and related hues, although warmer colors (orange, salmon, tan) are starting to become more widely available.
• Brand. This is probably the largest price factor of all. You can find everything from fairly generic mats at Target and other affordable department stores, up to prestigious, designer fitness mats from specialty shops.

Ranging from $10 to $100, fitness mats are diverse, and while higher end mats are a bit more luxurious, the lower ends will serve their purpose with no trouble.

If you are interested in buying a fitness mat, you are already off to a good start with regards to your physical fitness, health, and even mental well being. Taking a few moments at the start or end of your day, or even during breaks and lunch time at work, can go a long way in helping you stay focused, relaxed, and physically poised throughout your day. A fitness mat is a great way to find a little space to stretch and exercise; you just need to find a few moments to make it a reality.

When it comes to buying a fitness mat, there are plenty of choices, but the variation is not so drastic that it will make a huge difference on how your mat performs. For the most part, a fitness mat is 5 or 6 feet in length, and around 2 feet wide (sometimes a little less). It is made of a thin, soft, spongy material that is easy to wipe down, rolls up pretty small, and provides a bit of padding under your hands, feet, and head (depending on what activities you are doing).

In terms of purchasing decisions, you should probably first determine what your budget for your fitness mat is. Some mats sell for as little as $10-$15, with the top line mats in the $80-$100 range. The good news is that they all perform their basic duty without issue. The higher up you go, you’ll find slightly higher quality materials, additional thickness of padding, and sometimes fancier designs and colors.

For example, you can buy a general purple fitness mat for $10 that will be thin and do the job. You can buy an eco-friendly fitness mat with a high quality trim, a thicker mat, and a hemp carrying case for $90. And certainly there is much variation in between as well. It should not be hard to find a fitness mat that fits your price needs.

So determine how serious you are about your mat, how important the thickness is to you, how often you plan to use it, and how much you are willing to spend. Once you have your fitness mat, you are ready to enjoy it for a good long time.

If you have a fitness mat that you use for yoga, Pilates, aerobics, or any other type of exercise, you know how useful, versatile, and practical these workout mats are. They roll up easily and can be easily transported or stored. They’re thick enough to provide padding but not so thick as to be cumbersome. They come in a variety of colors. And they serve many different purposes.

So perhaps you have an eye, then, on some fitness mat accessories to make your exercise experience even more personalized or enjoyable. Or perhaps you’re buying someone a fitness mat as a gift, and you want to include fitness mat accessories to make the package complete and give the person a great surprise.

Either way, here are the best fitness mat accessories you will find. Since the mat is so simple, and since that’s a good thing, there are not dozens of different gadgets that go along with it. But these simple additions can make the mat even more useful and convenient.

• Fitness mat straps and cords. Designed to make mats even easier to store and transport, a mat strap or mat cord allows you to securely fasten the mat after you have rolled it up. This means it will stay rolled tightly without unraveling, and it often gives you a sort of handle to hold, rather than needing to cradle the whole mat itself.
• Fitness mat slings and sacks. Similar in purpose to the cord or strap, a mat sling or mat sack is a bag specifically designed for your fitness mat to be stored inside. These still make it easier to transport and keep it from unraveling. They also make it easier to carry (since the bags have larger handles or straps). It also keeps your fitness mat from getting dirty on your bike ride or in your car (or from getting dusty in your closet).
• Cleaner / spray. Finally, if you use your mat a lot, you may find that it starts to smell a little un-fresh, whether from your sweaty palms or just the floor of where you practice. A fitness mat cleaner is a simple fresh spray that helps clean dirt off, and add a light scent to, your fitness mat.

Fitness mats are very simple: soft, slightly spongy rubber or plastic material, in a bright color, roughly two feet wide and five or six feet long. It’s a very basic design, but it can serve quite a good number of functions when it comes to your personal exercise routine.

Fitness mats are known, more than anything else, for their use in yoga. Yoga mats are very helpful to beginners and experts alike because they provide cushion and grip. The cushion is helpful in any poses that distribute weight in an abnormal way, helping the body naturally adjust. And they keep your hands and feet from slipping on a slick floor if your weight is such that you’d be prone to slide out of the pose otherwise.

But it’s not just yoga. Pilates is another popular use of a fitness mat, since it also has you staying in one general, personal area and moving your body in a variety of ways. In fact, a fitness mat is good for almost any video or DVD-based at home workout that incorporates element of yoga or Pilates. (This includes, of course, the famous hybrid of those two: Yogalates.)

To use a fitness mat, though, you don’t have to follow a certain school of fitness exercises. They work very well as a general cushion and support mat for even the most traditional of exercises. You can start you day with a series of push-ups, sit-ups, and leg lifts that are guaranteed to be more comfortable when done on a fitness mat. Fitness mats also work well for general aerobics, too.

One main benefit of the fitness mat, besides the different activities to which it is well-suited, is how portable it is. A mat is easy to roll up and store in the corner of a room or in a closet. But then, it is also easy to take to a fitness class at your gym or health club. It’s also easy to bring to work. With a fitness mat stored under your desk, just waiting to be used, you may find that you make much better use of your afternoon break or lunch hour. Simply unroll the fitness mat and get even a few minutes of stretching and diversion from your desk, and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.