Folding Exercise Mats – Helping You Exercise With Ease

If you are interested in doing Yoga, Gymnastics, Pilates, Aerobics or just about any type of physical exercise, folding exercise mats are a must-have. Durable exercise mats last a long time and no matter what the level of the intensity of your workout, your exercise mats are going to stick around for a long time. If you’ve done yoga or aerobics before in a group or in the gym then you probably have used them before, their softness and pliability makes exercising twice as easy.

Why Should You Go for Folding Exercise Mats?

You may have heard different opinions about the kinds of exercise mats you should buy but most people prefer folding exercise mats and with good reason too.

Easy to store

The primary reason people love folding gym mats are because they are extremely easy to store and use. Specifically those who live in apartments or have limited space in their house will find the folding feature of these mats miraculous. This is because all you have to do after using the mats is fold them up and stack them away under your bed or couch or in some old closet of your house and that’s just about it. Most varieties of folding exercise mats will fold up to half of their size, quarter of their size or even smaller depending on their thickness.

Stability is important

 People who do yoga realize the importance of stability because yoga tests your balance. A good non-slippery surface of your exercise mat will give you stability so that you don’t slip or lose your balance. All those positions require balance and stable maps are very important when it comes to this.

Use wherever you like

Most people like to take their folding exercise mats around with them especially if they are planning to use the mat in the gym. Otherwise, you can use the mat outside in your lawn or at your friend’s house if you exercise together. When exercising in such places, folding gym mats come in handy. You don’t know how clean some places are and we all know that exercising on the grass is not a good idea without some matting underneath. So if you have an exercise mat that is foldable, you can carry it around literally anywhere you like making it easier to workout in multiple places.

What you should look for in folding mats

So now that you have established the need and importance of folding workout mats for your personal fitness, you’ll need to know which kind of mat is best suited for you. Doing your own research on the kinds of folding exercise mats before you hit the store will definitely make it easier for you to choose. Normally, folding gym mats are very simple but what differentiates between the types is usually the thickness or width of the mat. The most convenient type of folding exercise mat will have the following features:

It should have enough width and length for your body. This is dependent on your height. Typically, the length of exercise mats can be between 76 inches to 86 inches and the width can be anywhere between 21 inches to 39 inches. These measurements will depend on your height but if you are getting the mat for multiple people then it is a good idea to get a mat based on the height of the tallest of the people.

Is it too thick?

It should be thick enough but not too thick. Thickness of the mat will give you comfort while you are on elbows or knees. It will also provide support to your neck and back preventing pain when you are doing exercises that require you to lie down. However if the mat is too thick then it will be very difficult for you to fold it and there are chances of damaging the packing material inside. Nevertheless, it is preferable not to buy a folding mat that is less than an inch thick.

The best folding mats

The material of the mat is another issue; those more conscious about the material use cotton folding exercise mats which are great for warm up and cooling exercises. Other folding exercise mats are made of polythene, polyurethane, cross-link, foam as well as a combination called poly-foam.

In Summary

Investing in a good quality folding workout mat is going to make sure that you enjoy your workouts. A good folding mat will take care of your back and other parts of the body as well. The budget you need to go out there for a good mat can be as low as $30 or as high as $200 depending on the brand and material of the mat. Best of all, folding exercise mats are extremely easy to use, easy to fold and easy to store in just about any nook and cranny of your house.