I love when Pilates becomes part of a student’s everyday life. That moment when a student notices the posture slipping and adjusts it, or when belly breathing helps during a stressful situation, Pilates goes beyond the mat and applies to life.
Now more than ever, a Pilates practice for home has become important. I have always encouraged a home practice. Whether a full program or picking just a couple of key exercises that would be most beneficial, it’s that regular practice that will help bring about those changes in daily life.
To support your practice and continued growth, I thought a series on Pilates equipment for home would be helpful. We’ll cover the pieces most frequently asked about. This series obviously will not cover all the Pilates equipment or the “big equipment”. We are focusing on home and pieces that are more easily accessible – both financially as well as physically, lightweight and able to fit into a smaller space.
For some of the Pilates equipment, the same or similar products may be found on Amazon or other retailers, but I thought it would be best only to mention Pilates and Physical Therapy manufacturers. This is not an endorsement of any particular company or product. Since Pilates and Physical Therapy companies are probably not as well known, I thought directing you to reputable, recognized names within the industry would be more helpful.
We’ll begin this series with mats, a “fitting foundation”, but stay on the look out for upcoming editions where we’ll cover foam rollers, SmartSpines™, TheraBands, straps, balls, weights and more…
One of the beautiful things about Pilates is that you can still practice without any equipment at all. The mat exercises were meant for home practice and can be done on a floor, towel, rug, mattress and of course a mat. But if you are looking to create your own little home studio or feel it’s time for an upgrade, then adding some equipment might be the next step for you. When it comes to choosing a mat, two important things to consider are texture and thickness!
Texture: Take into consideration both the texture of the floor where you will be doing most of your practice (wood floor, tile floor, carpet…) and the texture of the mat. Some mats can be slippery (like a banana peel) on smooth surfaces (such as a wood floor). YOU DON’T WANT TO SLIP AND FALL!
Some mats have the same texture on both sides and some have a different texture on the bottom side to provide more sticking and traction. Whether the mat is the same on both sides or different on each side, some mats are slick and some mats stick better than others. Pay attention to texture and choose appropriately depending on the needs of your home space.
Thickness: Mats come in different sizes from thin to thick. Again, consider your needs – your body physically and your space (hard floor or soft carpet). A thinner mat on a firmer surface can give more feedback, but if you have certain physical conditions practicing on a hard floor with a thin mat may not be the best fit. For example, if you are boney, have boney areas, a joint replacement or arthritis, you are going to want to consider a thicker mat.
Mats:
| Thin – EcoWise Flat MatAt 1/4″(0.6cm), this is the thinnest mat on this list (although there are thinner versions out there available from other sellers). If you are going to be practicing on carpet, this could be a fit for you. Made from closed cell foam, these mats are free of latex, PVC and chloride. |
| Medium – EcoWise Pilates MatAt 3/8” (1cm), this is thicker than the “flat” mat listed above. This is also made of closed cell foam and free of latex, PVC, phthalates and chloride. |
| Thick – Balanced Body Aeromats At 5/8” (1.6cm), this is the thickest mat on this list (although there are thicker ones available from other sellers). If you will be practicing on a hard surface, this will give more padding but do be cautious as this mat is smooth and doesn’t provide traction so it is a slip risk. |
| Special Mention: Airex® Pilates Mats Yamuna likes this mat. It is 5/16 (0.8cm) thick and happens to be sanitized! This is one of the best mats in the industry (Pilates or Yamuna). Please do be aware even with this high quality mat, traction can still sometimes be an issue on certain surfaces (like wood floors). With this mat, it is possible to slide like an accordion on smooth surfaces when practicing Pilates or yoga moves like downward facing dog. Currently, it is sold out at some major Pilates manufacturers, but it looks like it is in stock at the Physical Therapy manufacturer. Both resources are listed below: Balanced Body Pilates OPTP |
If you have any questions about Pilates or choosing the right mat, please let me know. Glad to guide you in a good direction that fits both you and your space. Stay healthy and safe!
Breathe Deep and Keep Practicing;)
Shannon