Foam Exercise Mats
by Karen
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you’ve been looking to increase the types of exercises that you can do at home without having to spend a ton of money, you may want to consider adding foam exercise mats to your list of home exercise equipment. We’ll take a look at some of the different types of these exercise mats, what features to look for and some current popular models for you to consider.
Types of Foam Exercise Mats
The type of exercises you want to do, and where you’ll be able to store your mat will be important things to take into consideration as you look for home gym mats that are right for you. The most common types of foam floor mats include folding exercise mats, roll up exercise mats and interlocking mats.
Roll up mats are more light weight and portable and generally used for things like Yoga and Pilates. A folding exercise mat is good when you need more cushion, since they are usually thicker. While they are a little bulkier than roll up mats, folding mats are still easy to move and store. Interlocking exercise mats are used for home gym areas or playrooms for kids where they are more of a permanent fixture. All of these exercise mats can be used for a variety of floor exercises, stretching, physical therapy exercises and for warming up before a workout.
Important Features of Exercise Mats
As you’re looking for the best foam mats for your needs, keep in mind the following:
- Portability & Weight – If you’re going to be carrying your mat to class regularly these things will be important.
- Thickness or Cushion – Think about what level of cushioning you will need from it to make sure it serves it’s purpose
- Size – Get an exercise mat that will fit you and the type of exercises for which you are planning to use it; some stretching exercises will require a longer mat than you might expect.
- Ease of cleaning – You’ll want to make sure that you can easily clean your mat.
Exercise Equipment Mats – A Different Beast
As you’re looking for your perfect foam exercise mat for your workout, be sure not to get them confused with exercise equipment mats. These mats are made for placing under a piece of exercise equipment, rather than for exercising directly on. They are very durable but they are specifically meant to protect the floor underneath while using the equipment, and to help keep the equipment from sliding or moving around while in use.
Current Well-Rated Foam Exercise Mats
Here are a couple different well reviewed home gym mats on Amazon:
Valeo Foam Exercise Mat
Features:
- Basic, affordable foam mat that is easy to take to exercise class
- One side is ribbed and one side smooth so you can choose your preferred texture for varying workouts
- Self grip straps that help keep the mat rolled
- Easy to clean
Harbinger Tri-Fold Mat
Features:
- 2 inch padding for greater comfort and support
- Tri-fold design with straps makes easy to store and carry
- No problem with folding edges that can happen with roll up exercise mats
- Easy to clean vinyl cover
Change up your exercise routine and add a great new portable piece to your workout. You will quickly see the difference foam exercise mats can make when trying to reach your fitness goals.