Buying a yoga mat gives some beginner yoga practitioners so much of joy just like it feels buying new pair of sneakers for your everyday walk. Being beginners most of the people do not know what actually they must consider when buying a yoga mat and they settle for nothing else but the color and the look of the mat. It is only after a few days of usage that they realize their mistake and regret their purchase.
To save you from any such regrets and repentance, we have brought for you a complete guide that is going to help you with your yoga mat purchase. Take into consideration the following points and you will certainly pick an ideal yoga mat for your usage.
There has to be good grip
Imagine yourself doing a yoga pose on your yoga mat and it sliding with every move you make, thus interrupting your yoga performance. This happens when people do not consider the grip factor of the yoga mat, which is a very important factor. Yoga mat should be the one on which your hands and feet do not slip and it should not skid on the floor.
More padded mat for beginners
Beginner yogis require a yoga mat that is more padded than the ones experienced yogis’ use. This prevents injuries, as the body of a beginner yogi lacks strength that their body gets after some time of yoga practice. However, you must also ensure that you do not invest in a yoga mat that is no less than a mattress, as too much of padding is not required.
Be ready to spend some extra money for quality
Though most of the times it is beneficial to save but when it comes to buying a yoga mat, it has to be of very good quality and good quality usually comes at a good price. You will get cheap yoga mats in the market but to only realize their cheap quality soon. On the other hand are the high quality yoga mats that are worth the splurge and they stay for long.
Think Green
Just as you have started to pick other eco-friendly things, it would be good if you consider the green factor while buying a yoga mat as well. Stay away from the yoga mats made of PVCs, a toxic plastic that is neither good for you and for the planet. Picking up mats made of natural materials feel much better. Consider the one made of natural rubber, cotton, or the ones made of jute.
They do have their shortcomings like the natural rubber smells bad for few initial days, cotton rugs can be slippery, and the jute ones wear down easily but these shortcomings are nothing in front of the eco-friendly benefits of the green yoga mats.
Consider the mat credentials
You visit a market and you will be overwhelmed by the wide assortment of yoga mat types and qualities available for sale. You will even find different mats for different poses but you should stick to your own requirement and choices, rather than getting confused and make a wrong choice.
You must consider your usage, as in you are going to use that yoga mat just in your home or you will carry it every day to the studio or some spot outdoor, whether you are planning to use it every day or just once or twice a week, and more. Your choice of a yoga mat strictly depends upon such questions.
Quality of a yoga mat exerts great influence on the performance of the yogi practicing yoga poses on it. It has to be a good quality mat with a good grip, thickness, and should not be mae of toxic plastics.
