Here's why you shouldn’t use your yoga mat for dynamic workouts

Exercise mats provide a cushion and grip that make exercising more comfortable. Imagine the toll it’ll take on your knees doing cats and cows sans a bit of padding from a yoga mat. 

Aside from softening the impact when you’re on the floor, different exercise mats cater to different activities and can minimise the chance of injury. 

Typically, yoga mats measure anywhere from three mm to five mm, and their main purpose is to provide enough padding for knees, elbows and back while still allowing for a good amount of grip and support for balance when barefoot. 

Many yoga mats cater to different styles of yoga. Yoga mats with smooth surfaces tend to be absorbent and provide grip for practices such as vinyasa or hot yoga, where there’s a lot of sweating. Natural rubber surfaces give better cushioning and grip for more gentle routines like Hatha.

Regardless of which type you go for, a yoga mat’s key function is to provide stability when practitioners need to hold a pose.

Brands like Lululemon, Alo and Liforme offer mats that cater to yogis’ balancing acts.  Lululemon’s The Reversible (Un) Mat has a polyurethane side for more sweaty sessions and a rubber side that’s great for holding longer poses for less sweaty practices. 

For those who like to take their practice outdoors or are always travelling from studio to studio, Alo’s grippy Air Mat measures 1.5mm thick and, at just 3.5lbs, is designed for yogis on the go.

While many of these brands offer eco-friendly options, mats can come in rubber, polyurethane, foam or cork. Ease of cleaning and firmness is something to consider; while rubber is the easiest to clean, cork and foam may offer more cushion and bounce. 

But there’s no one-size-fits-all mat that suits the needs of different types of exercises. High-intensity and dynamic workouts often incorporate jumps, kicks and squats and can be more stressful on joints than a typical yoga session. 

Brands are answering the call with mats catering to exercises that incorporate weights and where shoes are required. Lululemon’s new The Workout Mat measures six mm thick and is textured to withstand the wear and tear of high-intensity training. More importantly, mats that cater to high-energy workouts better support lateral movements, which means they are better at absorbing shock. 

Fitness mats provide better bounce and joint support for strenuous exercise. If you’re spending enough time each week on your HIIT workouts, investing in an exercise mat is a good way to provide extra cushion and support for your joints. 

Also see: How compression gear works and why it improves your performance