The most beautiful yoga mats at small prices

What should be the right thickness? And what is the most suitable material? Orient yourself in choosing a good yoga mat it is not easy and yet it is the first step when you choose to start practicing this discipline, discovering its many benefits on body and mind.

In fact, it has now been widely demonstrated that practicing yoga regularly allows you to strengthen muscles and improve posturereducing pain and stiffness, but also of find your calm by keeping anxiety and stress at bay.

To fully exploit the benefits of this discipline, however, it is necessary to focus on the right equipment: in addition to comfortable clothing, the essential accessory is a good mat. What are the criteria to keep in mind before choosing? Here are some useful tips!

Yoga mat: what is the right thickness?

There are many types of yoga mats on the market: theirs often vary thickness which can range from 3 millimeters upwards. To choose the right one, it is first of all useful to consider where you intend to practice yoga: in fact, if you train mainly outdoors, on uneven terrain, it is better to focus on thicker mats that can ensure greater comfort. Same if you want to provide optimal support for the knees, elbows and hips while exercising, so as to maintain the right positions without feeling pain. Conversely, if you need to find a light mat, you can focus on a smaller thickness that can guarantee a good one adherence to the floor.

In principle, the optimal thickness is considered between 4 and 6 millimeters.

The material: from TPE to cork

Even the material yoga mats may vary by model. Until recently, fitness mats made of PVC, one of the cheapest materials of plastic origin, were very popular. Today PVC has largely been replaced by TPEa thermoplastic elastomer: it is a lightweight material which guarantees the right comfort during training, while ensuring one good adhesion to the ground because it’s non-slipa fundamental feature in terms of safety when choosing this type of accessories.

The yoga mats can then also be made with natural materials such as the cork which ensures several advantages: in addition to being non-slip, it also boasts antibacterial properties and resists moisture and sweat well.

Yoga mat: better to fold or roll up?

Attention also to the format: in fact, on the market it is possible to find both mats that can be easily rolled up and closed with practical straps, both models that go instead folded up. In this case, the only rule is to satisfy your needs. For travelers, the foldable format can be a good choice, because often these are mats that, once closed, take up little space and fit comfortably even in a suitcase. The classic roll-up models e to carry on the shoulder, however, are certainly the most popular and they are generally considered quite practical because they are often provided with a special strap that allows them to be kept closed and transported.

As for the choice of any other accessory, finally, let’s not forget that the eye also wants its part: when you buy the yoga mat, then, green light to choose a color that you like and that maybe helps you relax. First yoga sessions? For those who have not yet practiced, there are also mats equipped with alignment guides which help you focus and bring your hands and feet into the correct position so as to perform the different asanas in the best possible way.

How to wash it

Finally, whichever mat you choose, a good rule of thumb is to always pay attention to hygiene. After a few uses, to remove dirt and eliminate any bad smells, it is good to clean the mat by wiping it with a damp cloth. Without using detergents, you can generally use a solution of water and vinegar you hate water and lemonthen allowing the mat to dry in the open air.

In the gallery below, here is a selection of Comfortable yoga mats at affordable prices.