Nowadays, more and more people practice yoga. As one of the most important auxiliary supplies for yoga people, yoga mats have more and more types, which makes it more and more difficult for many people to choose. How many types of yoga mats are there, and how do we choose them correctly? Today Boga Sports will give you a detailed analysis and analysis, please look down:
What types of yoga mats are there?
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Material
Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. They will affect the comfort, resilience and anti-slip properties of the yoga mat. Therefore, practitioners should see which point they pay more attention to when choosing, and then choose the one that suits them.
TPE yoga mat is an environmentally friendly material of natural latex and hemp, which can be recycled and reused, and will not cause environmental pollution after being discarded. The yoga mat made of TPE has the characteristics of good elasticity, good anti-skid effect, good toughness, strong tension, and it is light and easy to roll, and the craft can be of any size and thickness.
The natural rubber yoga mat is made of a kind of glue on the rubber tree, 91%～94% is rubber hydrocarbon (cis-1,4-polyisoprene), the rest is protein, fatty acid, ash, sugar, etc. The rubber material is characterized by natural environmental protection, elasticity, excellent anti-slip, thick and close to the ground, and the size within 4mm thickness is the best. This material has a high cost, but it is more popular.
PU yoga mat is short for polyurethane, which is a kind of polymer material. Polyurethane is an emerging organic polymer material. It is used in the field of yoga mats due to its excellent wet and dry anti-slip properties. It is generally used in combination with other materials (such as natural rubber, TPE).
PVC yoga mat, PVC is the abbreviation of polyvinyl chloride, is a polymer of vinyl chloride monomer in peroxides, azo compounds and other initiators; or under the action of light and heat according to the free radical polymerization reaction mechanism (5 The inferior PVC yoga mats from years ago are basically made of this material). Good quality PVC yoga mats are made of natural latex, hemp and other natural materials. The most typical representative is high-density PVC.
Flax yoga mats are made from a kind of flax herb. They can be divided into three types: fibre flax, oil flax and oil fibre combined flax. Yoga mats of this material have good slip resistance but are relatively rough.
Composite yoga mats, this material is generally recycled from discarded garbage, which is very beneficial to environmental protection.
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Features
This is divided according to the functional nature of the yoga mat for the practitioner.
The traditional yoga mat is a yoga mat without lines and has the function of protecting and isolating the ground.
The positive yoga mat is a yoga mat with lines. It not only has the functions of a traditional yoga mat but also guides the practice of more scientific and precise yoga asanas.
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Crowd
Yoga is different for everyone, so yoga mats need to be divided into different groups of people.
For middle-aged and elderly people, the bones and joints of these people are relatively fragile and have poor toughness. Generally, thick yoga mats are needed for protection. Many middle-aged and elderly people choose 15mm TPE yoga mats.
People with sensitive joints have a low tolerance for pain and are easy to touch their joints when practising asanas. Therefore, a thicker yoga mat can make them more comfortable and relieved to practice.
Young people, because of their good physical condition, can choose thinner and more flexible yoga mats.
In addition to skin-friendly comfort, children should pay special attention to environmental protection and health.
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Width
Divided according to the width of the yoga mat.
61cm standard width, the usual width for yoga studios.
Practitioners with 68cm widened and wider shoulders.
80cm widened, beginners, men, or yoga people who like large spaces.
122cm wide for doubles, suitable for double yoga for parents and couples.
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Length
Divided according to the length of the yoga mat.
It is 163cm long and is generally common in the size of an upright yoga mat.
The standard length is 173cm, the size commonly used in yoga studios.
183cm lengthened the most common yoga mat length.
185cm lengthened, suitable for taller people.
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Thickness
Divided according to the thickness of the yoga mat.
1-3mm, this type of yoga mat is thinner, and the general material is natural rubber or cloth mats. Instructors and experienced practitioners choose more.
4-6mm, natural rubber, PVC or TPE yoga mat material, more suitable for intermediate and advanced practitioners.
8-10mm, common material is TPE, suitable for beginners.
15mm, the yoga mat is thickened. It is not recommended for general practitioners except for those with sensitive joints and middle-aged and elderly people.
How should we choose?
Beginners are new yoga beginners. In the process of practising, due to insufficient control of the asanas, joint pains, easy shaking of the body, practice errors, easy to touch the ground, etc. often occur, so ordinary beginners need one A thicker, widened, and a balanced yoga mat.
Intermediate level practitioners generally practice for more than 1 year and less than 3 years. They can basically control the body's centre of gravity and realize the benefits of yoga in life. The thickness of 6mm is more suitable for practitioners at this stage.
Advanced practitioners, 3-5 years of practitioners, advanced level, generally more difficult asanas can be completed naturally, the mind is calm and quiet, generally 4mm.
For master practitioners and practitioners over 5 years, the yoga mat can be thinner, just to isolate the ground.
Instructor, yoga is at a very high level. You will be surprised to find that they often practice the most basic yoga asanas, but he is very comfortable and natural when getting along with you, and there is no discomfort. At this time, the yoga mats they use are more Prefer cloth cushions.
Conclusion
So when we buy yoga, we don't mean that the more expensive the better, the bigger the better. We should choose the most suitable yoga mat according to our own factors, rather than blindly choosing.
