Find the Perfect Mat-ch!

Yoga, Pilates or General Fitness

Yogis will want a thinner mat with "stickiness", an ability to absorb sweat, ease of portability, and often eco-friendliness. Pilates mats need to be thicker to provide cushioning for the joints, hips and spine, but still firm due to the focus on exercises performed on your back and front (supine or prone exercises). A smooth surface on the top with traction on the bottom is ideal. General fitness practitioners or those doing athletic conditioning can lean towards thickness, but firm is the better way to go to ensure that the body is supported well during intense exercises like push-ups.

Thick or Thin?

The thickness of the mat relates to the kind of exercise you plan to be doing. For example, general fitness mats are about .25 in (6 mm) thick, making them great for push-ups, sit-ups and stretches. Yoga mats are usually around ?" thick (3mm), with the heavier ones being up to .25 in (6 mm) thick. Yogis will want to feel a strong connection to the ground during balance poses, so the thinner the mat, the greater that connection will be. Pilates mats need to be the best combination of thick for cushioning, while still firm enough to provide support. More general athletic exercise will need a mat similar to Pilates with thickness and cushion that provides support for wrists, knees, elbows, spines and ankles during reps and stretching. Yoga mats are generally not thick enough for mat-based athletic exercises.