The selection of the right yoga mat is important for making a yoga routine. Yoga for a beginner is always a unique experience for them as they try out basic yoga poses. The poses could only be set properly when you use the right mat, which suits your height and width. That’s why it’s always said that yoga mat selection is critical yet important. The yoga mat is the one that makes people comfortable in doing yoga poses, whether at home or in the garden. There is a wide range of yoga mats available in the market, and they work perfectly well for any style of yoga. In spite of it, understanding the differences will help you to select the best mat that fits your needs. Here are the things that you should consider before buying a yoga mat:-
What’s your Yoga level?
This question is indicating your level to practice Yoga poses. It’s great to know where you stand currently and select the mat accordingly.
At beginner level
This is the case when people have just been introduced to this kind of exercise form. The beginner usually does short and straightforward yoga sessions to get comfortable in the basic poses. The practice of beginners ranges from three to more days in a week.
Things to look at yoga mat:
If an individual is absolutely new to yoga, a comfortable thick yoga mat suits the body well. The reason behind choosing an extra thick mat is that it helps in curing slip or support to do pose better. You will definitely do yoga styles like Hatha, Prenatal, Restorative, etc. you can choose a mat between 5 to 8 mm thick to protect joints.
At intermediate level
The intermediate level considers those who have been doing yoga for several months. They are very much comfortable doing varied yoga styles like Downward-facing dog and tree pose. It’s probably time to level up and consider a yoga mat for intermediate level.
Things to look at yoga mat:
With the increased level, the yoga session’s intensity definitely gets risen then your yoga pose reaches sweat. However, since this transition requires a more gentle way of doing yoga, you can still use a mat between 5 to 8 mm and choose with better quality, which even shocks the sweats.
At advanced level
This is the case when you have reached the level where doing asanas consistently over a period of time. It makes you stronger and more flexible. When taking challenging yoga tasks to become accessible, it means you have moved to an advanced level.
Things to look at yoga mat:
After reaching a certain level where ashtanga or Vinyasa yoga poses become easy, you do lots of standing yoga poses that demand the top quality mat, which is a non-slip yoga mat or between 1 to 5 mm maximum, considered the best yoga mat. These specifications help to get an advanced-level mat.
Post-learning of the levels within which yoga mat suites, it’s time to get to know about the mat available in the market. These are as follows:
1. Travel yoga mat:- These mats are lightweight travel yoga and easy to fold so that people can carry them anywhere. This is the best travel mats. However, they are not meant for daily use.
2. Natural rubber yoga mat:- These yoga mats are a perfect example of eco-friendly as it is made up of organic ingredients such as safe for people who have sensitive skin.
3. Cotton yoga mat:- These mats are made up of cotton fabric and better for those who keep washing their belongings. It is also affordable in cost due to which it is always high in demand.
5 Important Things to consider while buying a yoga mat in 2021
1. Thickness of mat
The ideal mat thickness is considered to be between half to one inch. Whereas, for more comfort, quality purposes, an extra thicker works well that comes in more than 1.5 inches.
2. Material
The types mentioned above of yoga mats give you a clear brief about the material, and you can consider it. The beginners can start with cotton ones.
3. Texture
It is a must to decide about the texture of the mat in which you are comfortable. It must be coarse as it lacks a slippery problem. This fits well for every level of individuals.
4. Budget
Before buying a mat, it’s a must to have a proper budget in mind. Deciding on an estimated price in advance could guide you to pick the best yoga mats within your budget.
5. Ease of carrying
If, in the case of a regular yoga person and even traveling to a different place, it would be better to pick a portable mat for carrying with ease. The portable mat has two unique qualities, i.e., light in weight and daily purpose use.
Now you have complete guiding information with you about the buying of the right mat. Make sure you pick the mat as per your comfort and requirements without regret at a later stage.
And if individual people want to explore more exercise like Pilates, strength training, or at-home sweat sessions, then mat always works for them. Mat is not particularly meant for Yoga purposes, but it helps provide grip or balance to do any exercise correctly. That’s why the selection of mat is a crucial one as per your different individual requirements.
Summary
A good yoga mat is always making your yoga postures improved and better. The mat selection is considered a crucial one due to a lot of factors such as muscle strength, flexibility, and poses. The proper selection of mats matches your fitness level and boosts you to enhance your flexibility. Whether you are a newcomer or professional trainer, it’s a must to pick the right mat by looking at thickness, material, texture or purpose to use, etc. These elements guide individuals to get the best for themselves, and it results in the building of perfect body shape, the strength of muscles, and a high level of flexibility.
