Yoga mats and home exercise mats are similar products but are generally used for different exercises. Yoga is a low impact activity that does not require the use of thick gym mats; instead, workout areas that involve heavy weights and high impact exercises may need thicker workout flooring for sufficient floor protection and anti-fatigue properties. A rubber gym floor is the ideal material both durable floor protection as well as anti-fatigue comfort. It can also help prevent accidents from occurring through their naturally grippy surface that helps create a non-slip surface. Rubber home exercise mats can help promote safety and protect your home floors from impact damage caused by intensive exercises and fitness equipment.

Is There a Difference Between a Yoga Mat and an Exercise Mat?

The difference between a yoga mat and an exercise mat can be seen through their thicknesses. Yoga mats are generally thinner than home exercise mats because yoga is a low impact activity. Yoga mats are often used for comfort and cushioning – even though yoga is a full-body workout, it is not an impact intensive activity that will not put any impact pressure on your joints (webmd.com). Instead of being used for cushioning against impacts, yoga mats are generally used for comfort so that you are comfortably working out on a soft surface. Case in point, “Yoga mats need to provide some cushion, but they also need to allow for the person to properly feel the pose and feel stable or grounded when performing their poses” (bestinyoga.com). Rubber retains excellent elastic properties that allow the material to bend with whatever is on its surface, making it a more comfortable surface for yoga. Home exercise mats are thicker than yoga mats as they are generally used for floor protection and joint protection. Gym mats are used under fitness machine and equipment to absorb the shock of impacts and vibrations as well as cushion under feet. For instance, “most floor mats for gym in most fitness centers are thicker. This is because they have to absorb the user’s weight” (musclerig.com). Rubber is the ideal material for both yoga and home exercise mats as it is soft enough to provide a safe and cushioned surface while strong enough to provide resilient floor protection. Rubber can offer both anti-fatigue properties and surface protection capabilities, making it the best material for cushioning as well as comfort and surface protection for both yoga and impact heavy workouts.

• (a) Can You Dance on Rubber Flooring?

  You can dance on rubber flooring due to its excellent cushioning and non-slip capabilities. A rubber gym floor is soft and a moisture resistant surface that will absorb the force of impact from dancing. Rubber is soft in nature, allowing for a safer landing surface than other dancing surfaces, such as hardwood. For dancing styles that require groundwork, rubber home exercise mats will greatly enhance comfort qualities. Rubber workout flooring retains a naturally grippy surface that will retain its traction even when moisture is present on its surface due to its high coefficient of friction. This property of rubber helps maintain safety and can provide non-slip safety for gym floors as well. It also retains a low compression set which allows it to provide a sufficiently cushioned surface to provide safety padding in case of a fall. Not only will rubber home exercise mats provide excellent cushioning and comfort qualities, but they will also actively work to prevent slip and fall accidents that may lead to injuries.

How Thick Should an Exercise Mat Be?

An exercise mat should be 3mm to 1” thick to provide sufficient surface protection and safety padding. Thick gym mats are generally used for floor protection; however, it is great for comfort and anti-fatigue uses as well. This is due to rubber’s low compression set – compression set refers to “the permanent deformation remaining after removal of a force that was applied to it” (Wikipedia.org). Having a low compression set means that the rubber gym floor will not become deformed after impacts or from being underneath heavy equipment and fitness machines, allowing it to provide ample cushioning. Rubber workout flooring will evenly distribute the vibrations emitted by fitness machines and the force of an impact across the surface of the mat to prevent the vibrations from damaging the subfloor. Thicker heavy-duty gym padding of 1/2" to 1” are available for weight room flooring or mats around weightlifting stations. Weights and dumbbells are very damaging to floors as they are extremely heavy and can dent or crack hard surfaces, including concrete.

• (a) How Thick Should a Mat Be for HIIT?

  For HIIT, a mat should be at least 5mm thick to provide a sufficiently cushioned surface for anti-fatigue and surface protection purposes. HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training which is “a form of interval training, a cardiovascular exercise strategy alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods…” (Wikipeida.org). HIIT home exercise mats are available in thicknesses ranging from 5mm to 1” and are used for both surface protection and comfort qualities. Rubber home exercise mats are the ideal product for HIIT due to rubber’s naturally low compression set. It is important to have a sufficient padding for your HIIT workout as extensive or intense workouts can eventually cause knee pain when you exercise. Case in point, “Many physical activities that involve running, jumping, stretching and bending can put a lot of strain on your knee, which in turn can cause pain while you exercise” (activeimpants.eu). Therefore, rubber home exercise mats that are at least 5mm thick are ideal for HIIT exercises and will help prevent long-term joint pain due to rubber’s excellent shock absorption and anti-fatigue properties.

Rubber gym padding is the ideal option for yoga and other exercises. It retains a low compression set, allowing it to give off a “bounce” that not only offers safety padding, but also excellent surface protection for your home floors. Rubber gym padding is offered in an array of thickness ranging from 3mm to 1”, allowing you to find rubber workout flooring that is suited for your fitness routine. Additionally, both interlocking tiles and flooring rolls are available, making it easy to find a rubber gym floor suitable for the size of the space you have available for a home gym. Furthermore, the natural grippy surface of rubber will help promote non-slip safety for both you and your equipment while in use. Overall, rubber home gym mats are the ideal workout mats for home gyms due to their superior shock absorption and grippy surface.