Yoga Mats VS Exercise Mats?

Melroxsox

Is there much of a difference between the two? Should I be making sure to use a thicker mat when doing ab work? And how much should I really worry about spending on one? I've seen many VARIED prices...wondering if it's a "you get what you pay for item" or if I would be fine going to my local Walmart and purchasing a more economical version. Thanks!!

Atlantique

The Yoga mats get a little sticky when they're wet, so you don't slide off them when you get sweaty (as one tends to do yoga barefoot). They also are easier to store beause they're thinner.

Anything that I need padding for, I just do on a carpeted surface.

ekicinsk

eh, get one from walmart/target...unless you're doing tons of yoga and need the extra grip or you have hard floors, its basically to add a little extra cushion and, for me at least, to make sure i'm not getting my gross sweat all over the carpet.

Also, if you go to the store and get one, its instant gratification and you can pick from all the pretty colors and designs!

Melroxsox

lol yay! I love all the pretty colors! hahaha:laugh: I will be using it on a hard floor surface, so no carpet cushioning for me.

knittnponder

I have a big, thick, cooshy mat but I have hardwood floors and the old bones can't take it on the thin ones. If I had carpeting I would probably be fine with a thinner one. Doing plyometrics on hardwood is hard for my body parts so I use the cooshy mat for that too. BTW, my spell checker hates the word "cooshy".

abyt42

I use my yoga mat frequently, both in yoga and for exercise class. It appears to be sufficient, though I also have a very large towel that I use as a yoga blanket, so that's an option for padding (I've not needed it except as a bolster in yoga.)

pkpzp228

My advice is if you're going to be using a mat for both yoga and and exercise where you're using shoes get both. Depending on how deep your yoga practice gets, you may begin to view your mat as more sacred than something you want to be jazzercizing on. Besides that if it's a yoga mat you wont get as much life out of it if you're stomping all over it.

Melroxsox

I have a big, thick, cooshy mat but I have hardwood floors and the old bones can't take it on the thin ones. If I had carpeting I would probably be fine with a thinner one. Doing plyometrics on hardwood is hard for my body parts so I use the cooshy mat for that too. BTW, my spell checker hates the word "cooshy".

Hahaha I love the word "cooshy" lolll:happy:

MisdemeanorM

one thing to keep in mind about exercise mats is that often they are somewhat stretchy. they don't work well for yoga or push ups or things like that because they are made for cushioning and not things that require pushing in opposite directions at the same time or they move. Yoga and exercise mats are not really interchangeable. A yoga mat could work for abs etc just to somewhat avoid the spine vs the hardwood floor issue but I'd recommend an actual exercise mat if you are not working out on carpet. An exercise mat generally won't work well as a yoga mat though - unless you get into the much pricier mats. I have a yoga mat and an exercise mat (I like it for abs and also when I did plyometrics barefoot - since I hate shoes!). Both from WalMart (or maybe the yoga mat is from Marshalls?). Each $10 or less.

masterbean

I would say it depends on what you're wanting to do. If you're wanting to do Yoga, use a Yoga mat.
I have both Yoga and exercise mats, I do everything but Yoga on the exercise mats as I have hard wood floors and the Yoga mats really don't have any cushion.
For ab work-outs, I tried just a Yoga mat and it just wasn't enough cushion for my bum. I know, we all want to spend as little as possible...but look at it more as inspiration. We're far less likely to give up on something we've invested in.

EricPogamat

I found a mat that is durable and oversize so you can do all types of workouts. pogamat.com

johnarnold66

Looks good but well pricey... The pogamat strap is more expensive than the Kamachi mat I bought, and that came with a strap! Must say though, that on a tiled floor, the yoga mat is a bit thin for me, but I'm getting old and need some extra cushioning... Not going to pay that much though will look for a cheaper alternative such as HemingWeigh

gallowglasslass

I like the thicker folding mats, especially for anything that puts my spine in contact with the floor. Also remember that (if all goes as planned) your backside will be somewhat less padded in the future, and you may want a thicker mat by then. I don't see the one that I own listed on Amazon any more, but it is the Apollo brand of folding mat... not the cheapest but durable and relatively comfortable.

I found a mat that is durable and oversize so you can do all types of workouts. pogamat.com

Hmm. EricPogamat has mentioned Pogamat in 5 out of his 7 posts. Coincidence?

BTW, my spell checker hates the word "cooshy".

Try "cushy".

DeafGirl1993

I have both. I got my workout mat on sale at Walmart and my yoga mat on sale at Kmart. I like my yoga mat more than I do my workout mat. Just because of the thickness. I use my yoga mat with or without socks but never with shoes unless they have Never been used outside. I never have a problem with sliding off or mat getting wet from sweating. I use my yours mat for both yoga and my at home workouts. I have used it on a carpet floor and a hard floor, never had any issues.

kenyonhaff

Cooshy cooshy cooshy!!!

yirara

I just bought a new workout mat: 15mm thick, 100x180cm (Taurus xxl 15) It’s the same as I had before, which lasted me about 8 years. Ok, it’s expensive at around 66 Euro but i have lots of pointy bones and sensitive tissue. And having one knee on this mat is unpleasant. On s yogamat... I don’t want to know!

rainbow198

I have both. My yoga mats are all the same size, they are thin, have a ribbed surface and they roll up.

My exercise mat is wider, much thicker, has a flat surface and it folds.

I use my exercise more because my hip bones poke out so it's more comfortable. But it's more easier and quicker for me to pull out the yoga mats.

Theoldguy1

I got one of these Acumobility mats. I do a lot of stretching/mobility work on the floor. Non-slip extra cushioning and protects the carpet.

https://acumobility.com/products/acumobility-exercise-mobility-mat

corinasue1143

I bought a thin, cheap yoga mat many years ago. It was a starting place. I have had exercise mats, stability balls, bands, etc. All kinds of things have come and gone. But I still have and use the old thin, cheap yoga mat. I say start there.

MichelleMcKeeRN

I have a cheap thin yoga mat and just bought a manduka pro. There is a huge difference in the density of the cushion.

AwesomeSquirrel

I have an extra thin sticky manduka yoga mat that packs up super small as well as an extra long extra wide yoga mat from another brand that is regular thickness. I like both and use them for yoga (primarily ashtanga).

I usually keep a cheap IKEA blanket next to my yoga stuf and gold that up for extra padding when needed. I have hardwood floors.

I wouldn’t mind doing other floor exercises on my regular thickness yoga mat. I don’t do any type of workout where I’d consider using shoes on my yoga mat or inside my home at all.

jayhschmidt

More cushion is better than less for core work. I also have a pair of knee/elbow pad things and a tailbone pad. Everything helps imo.

springlering62

If you’re new to mat workouts, go with the $10 cheapie til you figure out if you like that style workout and will continue, before you invest in a better mat.

Mats are a very personal piece of real estate. The easiest way to send me up like a rocket is for someone to carelessly step on my mat preparing for a class, but people at my studio are super conscientious about that.

I have all kinds of mats. I use the real thick foam cheapie that I originally got for my morning stretch, which includes 120 hip circles and kitty time. They’ve taken a few chunks out of it, but it’s cool because it was cheap and it’s hard to really damage something that thick.

I have a $10 TJ Maxx mat in the closet that I used for years, til I needed something grippier. You’ll have the experience by then to know when you reach that point.

I have three XL Gaiam Sol mats that I LOVE. I rotate two for daily hot classes, and use the third for unheated classes. They dry quickly, grip well on both hands and floor, and are absorbent, because i loath the feel of a towel bunching up under my hands, so won’t use one, I can throw one at a time in the washing machine on “bulky” setting with a dose of vinegar, and hang it on the porch to dry, and it’s like new again. (But be prepared for some real slamming around in the washing machine!)

The Sols are a thin but cushiony mat. I use them for yoga and Pilates.

I bought a Manduka because I heard so much great feedback about them. It was twice the cost of my Gaiam, and wasn’t an XL size. Those few extra inches made a huge difference to me because even though I’m pretty average at 5’7”, I really stretch out. It was also a hard mat and slippery to me, even though I tried rubbing it down with salt several times to season the mat.

I used it three times, and after a scary slip on it, I gave it to my daughter, who loves it, Go figure.

If you go to a studio, ask people if you can feel their mats, and how they’ve liked it.

And bear other aspects in mind, too. I walk a half mile to my studio, usually twice a day. My Gaiam is comfortable to carry using a basic shoulder strap. The Manduka weighed a freaking ton, and was thicker, so it was not comfortable to carry a couple miles a day, because of the weight, and because the thickness drew the strap too tight.

gwinhart17

I use both. I love the thickness of the exercise mat, it's great for things like sit-ups, push-ups, ab work, or basically anything you would do laying down, but it tends to stretch and move when I am doing higher intensity things like burpees or quick yoga transitions and hiit(the thickness kinda flattens out a little after many uses). The yoga mat has more grip for when you are really sweating it out or not wearing shoes, it just seems to stay in place better.

jruoc001

You don't need to choose between them cause there are 2-in-1 (hybrid) mats that are perfect for both. Fitfiera.com check them out, they offer them and they characterize for having a large area, lightweight, free weights resistant, a balance between cushion and stability, and high grip.

lorrpb

Exercise mats are thicker, shorter, and less grippy. I like them for some things because it’s cushier, but if doing yoga, I’ve found I prefer the length and additional grip of a yoga mat.

Theoldguy1

lorrpb wrote: »

Exercise mats are thicker, shorter, and less grippy. I like them for some things because it’s cushier, but if doing yoga, I’ve found I prefer the length and additional grip of a yoga mat.

Exercise mats come in various lengths. We have this 4'x8' by 2" thick exercise mat (a 10 ft length is also available).

"4' X 8' Folding Exercise Mat | We Sell Mats™" https://www.wesellmats.com/4-x-8-folding-exercise-mat/

Longer than any yoga mat I've seen

ahoy_m8

Super old thread! I guess mats haven’t changed much.