Exercise Mat


The exercise mat is an essential part of your home gym, especially if you plan to do a lot of exercises on the ground, like ab exercises.

An exercise mat sometimes called a fitness, gym, or yoga mat, is a high-density foam mat that provides enough cushion and support for doing exercises on the ground. They also help to protect flooring while exercising.

A quality mat should be non-slip, so your hands and feet do not slip when performing an exercise. They are also affordable, durable, and should last you a long time.

Types of exercise mat

There are different mats for different fitness purposes in various sizes and thicknesses. Choosing the right mat comes down to your personal preference for the type of fitness exercises you will be doing and the surface that it will be placed on, a harder surface, and a thicker mat. 

Standard mat

I use standard size mats that are 180 cm (6’) in length, 60 cm (2’) wide, and 1 cm (1/2”) thick. They are two to three times the thickness of your standard yoga mat and more comfortable when performing ground exercises. In addition, they provide enough cushioning to protect me from a hard surface to perform my ground exercises safely and effectively. These standard-size mats are also space-saving and easy to roll up when not in use.


Yoga mat

Yoga mats are generally the same size as the standard exercise mats but thinner, 5 to 8 mm (1/4”) thick, and have a non-slip surface. Yoga mats are designed to provide yogis with a non-slip stable surface, so they feel grounded when performing different yoga poses.



Cardio or extra-large mat

Try using a cardio mat if you find the standard size mats too narrow. These mats are much larger than your standard mat and come in various lengths and widths.

You can also get thicker and heavier cardio mats that are more designed for tumbling exercises.



Interlocking mats

Interlocking mats are also called puzzle exercise mats. These mats are generally one metre by one metre squares and come in various thicknesses. 

The advantages of these mats are that you can interlock them, so they don’t separate or slide around during exercising, and you can put as many squares together as you like to form one large exercise mat. 



Home gym floor mats

These mats, also called rubber flooring tiles, are made from recycled rubber material used in gym flooring. They are generally one metre by one metre squares and come in various thicknesses. They are dense, heavy, durable, and can take a lot of weight being placed on them. They have an excellent ability to absorb shock when exercising or when you drop your weights. They can also be used to stabilise an area underneath your home gym equipment. These floor mats/tiles are an excellent choice for flooring in your home gym.