Guide to choosing a suitable mat for your Home Workout.
Many of us are limited by our choices of workout during this Circuit Breaker. According to the Singapore Health Promotion Board (HPB), 150 minutes of physical activity per week is recommended to reap substantial health benefits.
When it comes to working out, from doing yoga to aerobics to strength training, and High Intensity Interval Training, we need to use the right gear and equipment to do it properly, hence, choosing the right mat gives us the assurance of safety and maximum benefits for our workouts.
Today we are spoilt for choices with so many different shapes and forms of mats available on the market to suit different types of workout routines and even to complement varying tastes and styles. This article aims to help pinpoint the differences between yoga mats and exercise mats to suit your personal needs, goals, and preferences.
What is a Yoga Mat?
Yoga mats are specially fabricated mats designed for low impact exercises, thus are thinner as compared to gymnastics mats. Its thinness allows the user just the right amount of cushion while also having a strong connection to the floor when practicing yoga.
A standard yoga mat is about 1/8 inch thick, while the thickest are about 1/4 inch. There are also “travel yoga mats,” that are a mere 1/16 inch thick, which is lightweight and fold easily making them extremely portable especially during travelling.
Depending on your preferences, you can choose from a basic stick yoga mat made of PVC, also known as vinyl or others that are made of natural rubber, plastic elastomer, cotton and hemp, or jute. Each one provides a different level of sponginess, but those made of PVC are preferred by most practitioners. We should also be wary of natural rubber yoga mats if we have an allergy to latex.
What is a Gymnastics Mat?
They are most commonly used in professional sports such as gymnastics, parkour, and martial arts training. Do you know that Gymnastics helps in kids’ physical development through its movements, which forms the fundamental mechanics of many other sporting motions. Check out the AMAZING BENEFITS OF GYMNASTICS and learn how gymnastics prepares your child for other sports too!
Gymnastics mats are also most commonly used by fitness enthusiasts who love doing floor-based workout routines such as push ups, planks, and lunges.
Gymnastics mats typically measure about one to two inches thick and are designed to absorb shock and prevent injuries that can come from bouncing, jumping, and landing. This is why most gymnastics mats are used for high-intensity fitness programs, like HIIT and TABATA.
Most of these mats are either designed in pieces which can be connected via the velcro strips or are foldable to allow for easy set-up and storage. They are made from a dense foam and a vinyl cover that is easy to clean and maintain with a damp cloth. These mats are also made to be non-slip to provide a safe and comfortable area where users can perform their exercises with ease.
Which is suitable for me?
With so many different types of mats to choose from, it is understandable that we are left overwhelmed by choices.That said, there are some differences which we may wish to consider.
While the thinness of yoga mats provides users with better connection with the ground unlike gymnastics mats, it is much suited for low impact exercises without the added cushioning which the gymnastics mats are designed for.
With the added cushioning, gymnastics mats are much appropriate for absorbing higher impact, helping us to feel relaxed and focused while doing even the most uncomfortable exercise move. It also adds a certain level of protection for our knees, hands, back, and feet.
It is crucial that we continue to stay active during this period, to maintain our health and vitality. It is our goal and mission to increase the awareness and inspire people to allow a few minutes of their daily time to do some exercises.tobogan inflable gigante
We have prepared a series of routines – Workout with BFG in which you may consider, as well as equipment and gymnastics mats to get you started.
Whichever one you choose, we are confident that you are now more aware of some of the basic considerations when buying a mat. Just be sure to invest in a good quality mat so that you can get the best bang for your buck!
For equipment enquiry, kindly contact Mr Wong, 94367460 for more information.
