Exercise Mat Yoga Mat Difference

The differences between yoga and exercise mats can be summed up in three categories.

Exercise mat yoga mat difference.

The most major difference between a yoga mat and an exercise mat is their thickness. They are normally made of pvc and have an easy to clean vinyl cover. Although gorilla mats yoga mats are wider and thicker they are generally lighter which makes them easier to roll up and pick up for storage. This is because certain yoga poses call for a strong connection between the user s body and the floor s surface.

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. Exercise mats are on average 1 inch thick 60 inches in length and 24 inches wide. The best exercise mats are designed to make your workout comfortable and can be used for yoga stretching floor based exercises or really anything in between. Firmer mats can push to that 1 inch level but generally thinner yoga mats are preferred due to cost portability and storage.

That s because pilates means rolling on your back quite a lot which means that you need a mat that has plenty of cushioning to comfort and support you when doing so otherwise you would end up with terrible back pain. You can use the same mat in both types of classes but there are some differences to consider based on your comfort level and needs. Mat thickness and texture make a difference when it comes to balance poses in yoga whereas padding is more important in pilates when you re rolling lying on your side and putting. On top of that exercise mats can be either relatively firm when used in a gym or workout area to provide some level of padding cushioning for dropping barbells kettlebells and weights.

In most cases exercise mats are thicker than yoga mats. Another significant difference between our exercise and yoga mats is their weight. Pilates mats are typically thicker and with a higher density when compared to yoga mats. But having said that yoga mats might be thinner longer and more grippy than a standard exercise mat.

For our poplar 6 x 4 size gorilla mats exercise mats are about two pounds heavier when compared to the same same yoga mat. Exercise mats pilates mats and yoga mats. Generally speaking exercise mats are thicker than yoga mats with its thickest variation at only of an inch. Exercise mats might be a bit thicker to offer extra support for higher impact movement.

An exercise mat generally won t work well as a yoga mat though unless you get into the much pricier mats. When taking a yoga or pilates class you might notice that the mats look similar.