An energizing and captivating exercise session is incomplete without the right mats to support and provide additional features and reinforce the entire process.
Yoga mats and Bike mats popularly called Equipment mats can be one of the best investments for an outdoor gym or your indoor gym.
Key Takeaways
- Yoga mats provide cushioning and support for various yoga poses, while bike mats protect floors from equipment damage and reduce noise.
- Bike mats are more durable and thicker than yoga mats.
- Yoga mats come in various materials like PVC, TPE, or natural rubber, whereas bike mats are made of dense rubber or foam.
Yoga Mat vs Bike Mat
The difference between a yoga mat and a bike mat is that a yoga mat is ideally used as a flooring or covering on the floor when a person is exercising. This flooring is used during yoga asanas, yoga, and modern exercises as well. A bike mat, on the other hand, is a gym floor mat or covering that is employed below the flooring of exercise machines.
The Yoga mat is an intricately fabricated and designed mat ideal to prevent hands and feet from slipping during asanas and exercises. It is mostly employed as a rubber carpet.
It is popularly called the Yoga mat as it is regarded as a sign of Commercialisation of Yoga and is vital in asanas practice.
The Bike mat is a commonly used term used for flooring for machines to prevent any damage and enhance the floor’s safety. It is essential to protect hardwood floors from incidents such as slip and fall.
It offers a multi-purpose utility. It is a crucial component in sports avenues such as a gymnasium.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Yoga Mat | Bike Mat |
|---|---|---|
| Other names | Alignment mat, Slipmat | Gym floor mat, Equipment mat |
| Purpose | Stabilize the person exercising; ideal for bodyweight workouts. | Protect furniture, machines from long-term harm or dents. |
| Feel of ground | You can feel the ground, stay in close contact. | No contacts or feel of the ground. |
| Materials used | PVC material, carpet, and rubber. | Polymer materials, Heavy rubber |
| Length | Approximately 2-3 feet for most exercise mats. | Approximately over 5 feet. |
What is Yoga Mat?
The Yoga mat is a specially designed and fabricated mat for exercising. It is made up of various fabrics and materials such as rubber, cork, plastic, and other innovative materials such as hessian.
The yoga mat was initially pioneered by a yoga practicer and teacher in 1982.
The modern-day applications of yoga include yoga practices such as Hatha yoga and meditative yoga. It is not restricted to only yoga and is used worldwide for its characteristics of offering comfort and grip during any type of exercise.
The history of the yoga mat dates back to India when yoga was practiced on kusha grass. It was done while seated in a comfortable position.
Later, yoga was practiced on rugs and carpets, which were scarce and expensive to get. The earliest examples of yoga mats were tiger skin mats and deerskin mats.
Yoga mats started in the West as towels or cotton mats. The first yoga mat dedicated to yoga was manufactured in the 1990s.
They are available in a wide variety of designs, patterns, surfaces, and even textures.
These differences bring a diverse change in the weight, grip, and overall price of the mat. These mats also come with proper alignment markings on them to guide the person’s leg and hands position.
What is Bike Mat?
Bike mat refers to the mats in gym floor covers. They are essential to increase the utility of a place and create a possibility of other purposes.
A great mechanism to avoid furniture scratches and harm from foot traffic. It can be employed under gym equipment or just as a flooring similar to a carpet flooring system.
The bike mat was first manufactured in the year 1969. It was invented by Covermaster Inc.
Bike mat can be installed and laid down to overlap the adjacent mat sections and held together with an adhesive specialized for bike mats.
This is an incredible way to put together the individual sections in a tenacious unit.
The other popular way to deploy bike mats is to use the carpet method. You can use this method to install large coverings of gym flooring.
In this method, the sections are rolled into the required sections and glued on the required places with a special adhesive.
Bike mats are available in various designs, patterns, and materials. They are also available in carpet flooring materials which can be easily cleaned with the help of more traditional ways of cleaning.
Main Differences Between Yoga Mat and Bike Mat
- Yoga mats tend to lose their ability to absorb sweat and may start to slip. Some materials of yoga mats are better than others. Bike mats on the other hand are designed to absorb sweat conveniently and prevent any sweat damage in the equipment.
- Yoga mats have a shorter life span than bike mats. Yoga mats are advised to change every 6 to 12 months, depending on the material of the fabric. Bike mats or gym flooring mats can survive up to 10-15 years based on the material of the flooring.
- Yoga mats are not as sturdy as bike mats due to the differences in usage.
- The average thickness of a yoga mat is ¼ to 1 inch. Whereas, the average thickness of a bike/ exercise mat is 1 inch to 3 inches. Thus, yoga mats are thinner and light-weighted than bike mats.
- A yoga mat is adjustable and perfect for low-impact exercises. Bike mats are heavier and fixed on the ground. Yoga mats are less firm, unlike the bike mats that are study and dense inside.
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
