The first protective layer during your workout is ensuring the perfect gym mat to boost performance and protect you from injuries. A good workout should be intensive, yet you need the best comfort layer, which is why you need the mats.
Due to their size, they can protect your feet and whole body, enabling you to maintain your minor to extensive fitness routines. This is why 85% of gym goers consider mats a must-have accessory for indoor or outdoor routines.
As many people embrace the fitness and healthy living culture, you need an accessory to help you work out even in the smallest spaces. When you desire to create dedicated spaces, especially for home workouts, the mat should be essential to ensure consistency and boost your motivation.
They can perform double roles, protecting your body and ensuring your floors are not damaged, especially the wooden planks, as a result of what you do.
Due to the rising demand, there are many options to choose from, especially cheap imitations. So, next time you need a mat, consider one of these options based on your needs.
1. Rubber Gym Mats
Gyms are often filled with heavy equipment, commonly laid around the floor or stacked in an organizer. All this weight exerts a lot of pressure on the floor and can lead to damage, like cracks. For this, you need a protective layer, which is why you should buy rubber mats.
These mats contain shock-absorbing features that enable the floor to withstand the force exerted, reducing the impact from all the equipment. Once installed, the floor will always maintain its shape despite all the impacts exerted. They cushion your floor, ensuring stability, especially in public or commonly filled gyms.
These gym mats are affordable, and the material is safe for use in different spaces. Some also have interlocking features, allowing you to interconnect them seamlessly until you cover the entire floor. You can also cut them into shapes to extend to the limited spaces.
They also have a higher density thickness to boost the cushioning capabilities and are durable enough to withstand all the weight. Besides that, you can buy them in different sizes, including different thicknesses, to meet your gym design needs.
When working out, you need additional music to motivate you to work out longer. Additionally, overcrowded gyms can be noisy due to people struggling with the weight and loud instructions. One soundproofing technique is to use these mats. Thus, you do not need to spend more capital buying soundproofing elements.
If you wish to insulate the floors and protect a wide area, they are a perfect tool to save on costs. The noise insulation effects also make them an ideal addition to your home, creating a private space for workouts without noise pollution around the house.
All the features make them durable and can last five or more years before you consider a replacement. The rubber top surface will hardly wear even under higher friction. Additionally, the top surface appears spongy to regain shape after workouts.
2. Foam Mats
If you love low-impact and flexible mats, your best choice should be foam mats. You can roll them up, store them, or carry them on your back before heading out. The ability to roll them up also makes them space-saving; hence, you can store them anywhere, including limited spaces like corners.
So, if you love Pilates, meditation, and yoga, these are your perfect mats to sit on and allow your mind to relax. You should also buy them if you love outdoor workouts, especially yoga and meditation in nature. Despite being too light, they have the perfect cushioning to protect your body even if you lay them on rough surfaces. The top and below surfaces are smoother but are hardly penetrable by sharp objects.
Due to their size, you can use them in smaller spaces, like your living room floors, for yoga practice. Despite the smooth top surfaces, they provide a perfect grip, preventing falls even when sweaty.
You can stand on them even when wet, and they cannot get slippery. However, you should ensure the top surface is always dry before you begin the workouts.
3. Puzzle Mats
These are also known as interlocking mats. They are shaped like interlocking tiles that you can fix to lock together and cover large surfaces. They are perfect for large workout spaces, like martial arts rooms. They are flexible enough to be easily set up and dismantled.
Additionally, they are light enough to enable you to change your exercise space. Besides being suitable for large spaces, you should mind the equipment you put on top of them.
However, someone carrying objects can stand on them. This is why they are suitable for non-machine-intensive workout routines like martial arts.
4. PVC Mats
These are the best mats if you’re looking for something that blends comfort and durability. Additionally, they are cheap to manufacture, making them cost-friendly. One of the best places to use them is gyms in humid areas since they hardly absorb moisture and dry fast.
However, you must frequently clean the surfaces below since they retain fluids in such areas, especially when the room gets humid. Unlike rubber, you can clean them fast and within the shortest time.
Due to all these benefits, you can use them for workouts, like dancing. They are hardly portable since they tend to be rigid, though the top is smooth and comfortable.
Bottomline
The first step to having the best workout is to select the mat best suited for your routines. Foam/yoga mats should be the best pick if you have smaller spaces to work out and do less intense exercises.
However, for a home gym, the rubber ones are good to protect the floor and withstand the weight of all gym equipment. Other options like PVC and interlocking mats are also good if you use them properly.
