Yoga is one of the exercises that many people love because of the positive effects that yoga brings to the body. One of the important factors that help yoga practice to be comfortable, and pleasant and achieve the desired results is choosing a quality yoga mat. Through today’s article, we will introduce how to choose a suitable yoga mat for practice, especially for those who are new to this subject. Discover now.
Why do you need a yoga mat?
A quality, standard yoga mat is a factor that you should pay attention to when you are new to yoga. Because this product has many useful functions, helping your practice process to be comfortable and achieve optimal practice results, specifically as follows:
Helps prevent slipping
Most yoga movements require good balance throughout the practice process. Exercising right on the floor can make it difficult for you to do this because your feet cannot find a grip and are prone to slipping, causing unwanted injuries. Therefore, equipping yourself with a yoga mat is extremely necessary. Currently, most yoga mats on the market are designed with an anti-slip surface, creating favorable conditions for you to practice this sport.
Keep your body clean
One of the reasons why you should consider owning a yoga mat is because this product helps maintain hygiene and keep your body clean throughout the practice process. Whether practicing at home or at yoga centers, the floor is always a place where many bacteria accumulate that cannot be seen with the naked eye, containing many pathogens that affect the health of the body. Therefore, choosing to practice with a yoga mat will help limit the body’s direct contact with the floor, keeping the body clean and avoiding many dangers. Anti-calloused hands and feet
Some yoga exercises require knees or elbows to be placed on the floor, such as the camel pose, the forearm-supporting-the-wall pose, the baby pose, etc. If you do these exercises without a mat, it will easily cause pain in the body parts, and in terms of aesthetics, it will also easily cause calluses and bruises on the hands and knees. Therefore, practicing yoga on a mat is necessary.
Keep your body warm
When practicing yoga, the whole body will often be in direct contact with the ground. Especially in cold weather, a yoga mat will help keep your body warm during practice.
Guide to choosing the right yoga mat for beginners
It can be seen that yoga mats bring many benefits to your yoga practice. Therefore, the advice given is that you should own a quality yoga mat before starting your journey to conquer this subject. Here are some ways to choose a standard yoga mat, suitable for beginners that you can refer to and apply.
Mat size
One of the principles you need to ensure when choosing a yoga mat is that the mat size must be equal to the height of the practitioner. In addition, the width of the mat must also be equal to the width of the shoulder. For example, if you are 1 m65 tall and 58cm wide, you should choose a yoga mat with a minimum size of 165 x 85 cm. In case you want to feel more comfortable when practicing, you can choose a mat with a slightly larger size.
Mat thickness
Normally, the standard thickness of yoga mats on the market today is 4, 6, 8, and 10mm. With the same material, products with a thicker thickness are better able to prevent injuries during practice. However, if the mat is too thick, there are also notable disadvantages. It will be more difficult to maintain balance on mats that are too thick. Mats that are too thick will not create the same stability as thin mats. Therefore, the way to choose a yoga mat here is to choose a mat with a suitable thickness, from 6 – 8mm for beginners. In particular, people with problems related to bones and joints should choose a mat with a soft, moderate thickness to support better practice.
Elasticity – stretch of the mat
One of the ways to choose a yoga mat that is passed on by word of mouth is to choose a mat with good elasticity and stretch. A yoga mat that is too soft will not be able to protect and limit injuries while you perform yoga movements that require you to put your knees and hands on the floor. To check the elasticity and stretch of the mat, use the force of your hand to squeeze the mat tightly. If your two hands can easily touch each other, then it is likely that the elasticity of the mat is very poor. Mat Weight
Mat weight is also one of the factors mentioned in the ways to choose a suitable yoga mat for beginners. Before buying a mat, you should consider and think about the place you intend to choose to practice. If practicing at home, the basic types of mats today are suitable. In the case of practicing at the gym, you should choose a yoga mat with a weight.