There's something hidden under the yoga mat that can infect your whole body

When you complete difficult yoga moves such as handstand and knee hug, have you ever paid attention to whether the yoga mat that is in close contact with your skin is clean? According to Taiwan's Minsheng Daily, most public yoga mats in fitness centers are not disinfected regularly, making them prone to harboring dirt and breeding bacteria, causing skin infections.

In the United States, there are a variety of yoga mat cleaning wipes, sprays, or yoga gloves, foot covers and other products recommended to consumers. Dermatologists say that yoga mats that are not cleaned are likely to harbor bacteria, fungi, dust mites, etc. The bacteria among them can cause folliculitis, the fungi can easily cause tinea corporis and athlete's foot, and the biggest threat of dust mites to people with allergic constitutions is that they induce allergic dermatitis and asthma.

Some people may say that they often practice yoga on public mats and do not feel any physical discomfort. In fact, the reason is very simple. After the bacteria in the unclean yoga mat are transmitted to the human body, they will not cause illness immediately, but will hide in the surface of the skin for a long time. Once the human body's immunity is reduced, it will launch an attack and cause various infectious skin diseases.

Doctors suggest that the best way to prevent infection is to bring your own yoga mat. In addition, after exercise, you must choose a shower gel containing antibacterial ingredients, and your fitness clothes should be soaked in disinfectant, or washed and dried in the sun for a long time.

When you go to yoga, will it be effective to bring some disinfectant wipes and wipe the yoga mat? In fact, experts do not recommend it. This is because commonly used disinfection products do not moisten the entire mat when used, so the cleaning and sterilization effects are not up to standard and are ineffective. However, if you use a product with a higher disinfectant concentration, the disinfectant remaining on the mat after wiping will also cause damage to the skin.

Further reading: How to choose a yoga mat?

Currently, yoga mats on the market are divided into two categories based on their materials: TPE and PVC. According to thickness, there are 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, etc. Many buyers who purchase yoga mats are faced with so many types and brands of mats on the market but don’t know how to choose the right mat for themselves. Let me give you a brief introduction below.

1: The difference between TPE and PVC:

Difference 1: TPE mats are made of environmentally friendly materials

TPE mats are made of environmentally friendly materials. The production process has very high requirements on production technology and raw materials, so the price is more expensive than PVC. Currently, there are few factories in China that can produce TPE mats, and most of them import materials from Taiwan.

There are many types of PVC mats, and the prices range from a dozen yuan to several dozen yuan. Most TPEs cost more than a hundred yuan or even several hundred yuan.

However, a PVC mat of better quality can definitely not be bought for just twenty or thirty yuan.

Difference 2: The smell of new TPE mats can be dissipated, while the smell of poor quality PVC mats cannot be dissipated

Since TPE mats are environmentally friendly, does that mean they have no odor? The new TPE pad you buy will have a bit of the smell of the raw materials themselves (unless the seller opens the pad in advance to disperse the smell).

But don't worry, it's not like lower quality mats where the smell won't dissipate. If we open the new mat we bought and put it in a ventilated and cool place to dry for a day or two, the smell will dissipate. (Please note that it should not be placed in the sun!)

If the mat is of poor quality, the smell will not go away no matter how many days it is left.

Difference 3: TPE mats have better anti-slip properties and elasticity

When we buy TPE mats, we don't have to worry about their anti-slip properties and elasticity. Because the mat made of this material has anti-slip properties, elasticity and workmanship that are unmatched by PVC materials, it can prevent slipping even when sweating.

Difference 4: TPE mats last longer

TPE mats are more durable than PVC ones and can be used four to five times longer than PVC.

In terms of cost performance, PVC mats are more economical and affordable. But compared with PVC yoga mats, TPE yoga mats have insurmountable advantages:

1. Non-toxic, free of metal elements, naturally oxidized and cracked, recyclable, and free of environmental pollution;

2. Soft, conformable, and extremely grippy - the entire mat can stick to the ground;

3. Lightweight, each mat weighs about 1200 grams, which is about 300 grams lighter than PVC foam mat, easy to carry and collect;

4. Waterproof and non-slip, even if your feet and palms are sweaty, you can still do yoga on it without any slipping. There are beautiful patterns on the front and back.

Anti-skid particles, better anti-skid effect;

5. Better elasticity and strong resilience. Although it is only 6mm thick, it has strong resilience. When you do yoga on it, you will feel soft and very comfortable, and it will not feel thin at all.

2. Choice of thickness

Generally, beginners can choose 6mm, and after they have a certain foundation, they can choose 4mm thick. The current length of the yoga mat is 173cm long, but there are also extended versions of 180cm or 183cm long.