How To Choose The Best Yoga Mat For Your Hot Yoga Practice

Hot yoga has become a rather popular option for exercise in the past few years. A great option for releasing toxins and getting a nice workout in, hot yoga is a good way to get your exercise in. If you already have a yoga practice, then you may have all the equipment you’ll need. However, using the same mat might be a bit tricky.

In hot yoga, the idea is to sweat (obviously). And with sweat comes slipperiness, meaning that the grip on your yoga mat isn’t going to hold up as well as it would in a normal yoga class. You may be slipping and sliding all over the place, so choosing the best yoga mat for hot yoga is important for your practice. Let’s look at some of the attributes your hot yoga mat should have and what type of yoga mat would be perfect for your practice.

Yoga Mat Attributes for Hot Yoga vs. Normal Yoga

A yoga mat for hot yoga is going to be different than one you use for regular yoga. Why? Well, because you will sweat more in a hot yoga class. A lot more. So you should have the proper equipment going into a hot yoga class which includes a hot yoga mat.

One of the most important qualities of a good hot yoga mat is its grip. It should be able to withstand all the sweat and still allow you to pose perfectly without slipping all over the place. While grip is important in a normal yoga mat, you don’t need to go out of your way to search for a specialty mat with a sticky grip. But if you are planning to practice hot yoga, you’ll want to search for a mat that has a special grip force.

For hot yoga, you will also want an especially durable mat because all of the moisture can wear down a mat pretty quick. You will want to look for something that can withstand moisture and will last for your hot yoga practice.

The Best Yoga Mat For Hot Yoga

There are many options out there as far as yoga mats go. However, if you are thinking of taking up hot yoga, then you will want to look into a cork yoga mat. These mats are made from a sustainable material that is durable, yet flexible, and has an amazing grip. Cork yoga mats are the perfect choice for hot yoga, or any type of yoga for that matter.

Cork Mat material

The cork material naturally releases a waxy substance called suberin which actually increases the grip. So the more you sweat, the more grip you will have! Cork is also antimicrobial, meaning that it won’t hold onto bacterias and other germs.

It essentially stays clean by itself! Now, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t clean your mat, but you won’t have to worry about nasty bacteria that will make your mat smell after you sweat all over it. So, if you are looking for the best hot yoga mat to start your practice, then a cork yoga mat is where you should look. 

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