Exercise mat - what is it?

Welcome to another #Beshaped post! On our blog, you will find tips on nutrition, exercises, suggestions for choosing the right clothing, and a bunch of advice on typically female issues.

This post is dedicated to the topic of exercising at home, and to be more precise, we are focusing on exercise mats, which are essentially an essential element of home workouts.

If you are at a stage where after the pandemic you have switched from fitness classes at the gym to exercising at home, or if you have given birth and don't have much opportunity to leave the house and spend over two hours at the gym, you are definitely either reaching a point where a gym mat is simply essential, or you already have such a thing as an exercise mat but are looking for a new one. Since you are here, I assume you probably know that a gym mat at home is truly essential - it protects us from injuries and significantly increases the comfort of exercising.

But - how do mats differ? Can you choose poorly? Why is it even worth using an exercise mat?

In this post, we will help you find answers to questions such as:
1. What does an exercise mat provide? What should you pay attention to when choosing?
2. Why do you need an exercise mat? Why is it so important? Why do you need this accessory if you exercise at home?
3. How much does an exercise mat cost?

Besides these important questions, we will suggest what types of mats are available on the market, what they can be made of, and which type of mat works best for specific types of exercises.

So let's start from the beginning!

What are the advantages of exercise mats and what should you pay attention to when choosing a mat for yourself? What does an exercise mat provide, why is it needed:

Of course, we could start this paragraph by listing a whole bunch of advantages of exercise mats, but would that convince you? Maybe to some extent it would, but in our opinion, for any argument to be truly credible and convincing, it's worth grounding the facts in practical circumstances!

What does an exercise mat provide? What features make it easier and protect our body during exercises?

During exercises, one of the most important issues is the safety of the joints. Whether your joints will be safe during exercises depends, of course, on many factors, including proper warm-up, but one of the additional factors is whether, for example, when performing leg raises in a supported position, your knees are adequately protected.

What makes a given mat better or worse at protecting our joints - knees and wrists?

Its THICKNESS. The most popular and commonly found mats on the Polish market have a thickness ranging from 3 to 6 mm. You will most often encounter these thicknesses in gyms, Pilates schools, yoga classes, or fitness centers. In addition to the most commonly found thicknesses: 3 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, there is also a category of thin mats and thick mats. Thin mats are dedicated to travel and short-term use - in this category, you will find mats with a thickness of even 1 mm or 1.5 mm. Alongside travel mats, there are thick mats with a thickness ranging from 8 mm to 1 cm - these are primarily dedicated to very intense and dynamic exercises. Their main goal is to ensure maximum stability. What thickness is the safest and optimal? For varied exercises at home, which include aerobic elements, exercises taken from yoga and Pilates, choose mats with a thickness ranging from 6 to 8 mm.

Is an exercise mat necessary?

We have already established that a gymnastics mat is needed. Besides the fact that depending on the thickness, it protects our joints from injuries and strains, the issue of safety is also important. An exercise mat, especially at home, protects us from losing balance and uncontrolled slipping.
Therefore, the most important answer to the question: "What does an exercise mat provide?" It provides safety and control during exercises.

For what exercises will a training mat be useful?

An exercise mat is essentially indispensable for all exercises that engage our knees as support for the body. Additionally, it is useful for other exercises in seated or lying positions. Considering its anti-slip properties, it is also good for performing standing exercises on it.
An exercise mat will be suitable during home workouts for Pilates, yoga, stretching, leg, glute, and abdominal exercises.

How much does an exercise mat cost? Exercise mat price:

How much does an exercise mat cost? The price variation that occurs in the context of mats is essentially comparable to the price variation of other products - in stores, you will find both low, medium, and high-priced mats.
- The price for a thin exercise mat ranges from 49 PLN to 149 PLN
- The price for a medium-thick mat ranges from 79 PLN to 199 PLN
- The price for thick mats usually starts from 179 PLN and goes up to 300 PLN
In summary, as you can see, it is not possible to answer the question of how much an exercise mat costs in one sentence.

Where to buy an exercise mat?

The technical issues are behind us. It's time for decisions and two main questions:
- exercise mat price? How much do exercise mats cost, and why is there such a large price variation in the market? Why can you buy a mat for 40 PLN at a supermarket while in specialized stores, the prices of mats are much higher?
- where to buy an exercise mat? Should you buy a mat at a discount store, in a supermarket, or at a specialized store?
Of course, you need to answer each of these questions for yourself in a way because where and what kind of mat to buy and how much to invest depends on how much you plan to exercise and what type of training you want to do most often.

If you need help in making a choice, write to us!