If you have decided to enhance your daily routine by practicing yoga, you have done the right thing. Whether you need a way to channel negative energy or you want to get in shape by next summer, this exercise can help you with all that.

Check the following source for more yoga benefits:

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/a-z/yoga-workouts

Besides numerous health benefits, people love this exercise because they can perform it outside yoga centers and gyms. These exercises don’t require specialized equipment, so daily workouts won’t cost you a fortune. Yet, practitioners are often in a dilemma whether to buy a mat, as they can get it for free at any yoga center.

Do You Even Need a Mat?

The benefits of buying a yoga mat are many, and the first and most important reason to have it is hygiene. No matter how well maintained, the pads provided in the studio are a ‘public good.’ You can never know who has used them before you. They can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, which can cause many health problems. Plus, they wear out much faster than a mat that only you use.

Yes, exercising mats you get in the gym or yoga center are free. But these are usually simple exercising pads, which are not suitable for yoga exercises. Specialized mats provide the perfect surface to align your body in so that you are evenly balanced. It also helps keep muscles in check, so you are less likely to get an injury during exercising.

Who Should Use Thinner Mats

In addition to a personalized exercise space, the point of a yoga mat is to provide you with a stable foundation for performing specific exercises. Go on this link and find out how to keep your exercising pad in the best condition.

While learning about this practice, you probably found out that there are many subtypes of it. You’ve probably seen advanced practitioners performing insane poses that require excellent physical fitness and an adequate surface.

Suppose you aspire to become a yoga expert or even teach others one day. Besides practicing regularly and adopting that lifestyle, you also need a quality mat. Newbies shouldn’t use thin mats, as the comfort of exercising is always a priority at the beginning. But as you progress with the exercise, you should reduce the pad’s thickness.

The thin surface on which you do postures allows better contact with the ground. That makes exercising more comfortable and safer. Over time, you will learn not to focus on possible discomfort during training on a thin surface (lack of cushioning make knees and other joints banging). Then you’ll know it’s time to buy a slim mat.

Easier Maintenance 

As your yoga skills progress, the difficulty of the pose will become greater. If you didn’t sweat at first because you only did light postures, you would notice drops of sweat while performing side planks or standing on your head. In such situations, but also when performing hot (Bikram) yoga, it’s always a good idea to practice on a thin pad that doesn’t absorb sweat.

Even if you wash it regularly, a thicker mat will absorb some of the sweat over time. Thus, it will become an ideal habitat for bacteria and take on an unpleasant smell. With thin pads, there is less chance of this happening, especially if you maintain them regularly. In the end, if the exercising surface wears off, you will replace it with a new one (slim models are cheaper than thick ones).

Ease of Storage

Suppose you travel often and don’t want your workout routine to suffer because of it. In that case, you could use thin yoga mats. They are more flexible and significantly lighter than thicker and firmer exercise pads.

Also, if you are looking for an exercising pad that you can simply roll up and put underneath the couch or bed, then you may want to consider getting a thinner model. That will encourage you to work out even at home, as it will provide you with a more comfortable surface to perform many different types of yoga exercises.

These days, many people are turning to yoga as a way of keeping fit and having fun, but also because they realize it’s one of the best things they can do for health and well-being. The thickness of the exercising surface has a significant impact on your performance, so choose it carefully.