A lot of us are under the impression that you need loads of heavy weights and expensive equipment in order to build a proper home gym. However, that is simply not the case, all you really need is just one yoga mat. We understand that it may sound surprising but you really can do a lot with just a 30 USD yoga mat.
There are so many exercises that you can do with just the yoga mats alone. The thing that is even better is that you can always mix and match different types of workouts in order to craft a truly customized workout routine on your yoga mat.
Well, the most obvious type of workout best suited for a yoga mat, is, well, yoga. If that is something you are interested in then just a quick google search will give you tons of yoga videos you can use in order to workout. In fact, there are a lot of exercises that are designed for yoga mats that can really act as types of strength training. Although, in this case, you will be using your body weight instead of actual weights.
The more regular types of core-based exercises such as planks, mountain climbers, and crunches are obvious types of workouts you can do on your yoga mat. These types of exercises do not require any equipment anyway and they are also a bit uncomfortable to be done just directly on the surface of the floor. Even the elderly can take advantage of these yoga mat exercises. It is important to realize that there are also many different types of butt, leg, and arm workouts that you can do on your mat as well. These exercises can also be helped by doing them on a yoga mat as it is able to provide a lot of cushion and also, grip.
Planks: Shoulder Tap
You have to start in the position of a high plank and your hands should be about shoulder-width apart and also, your feet should be hip-width apart. Make sure that your core is properly engaged as you need a type of straight line to run straight from your head to feet.
After the above has been done, bring your right hand down and do the exercise with your left hand and by tapping your right shoulder. Make sure that you continue to alternate the shoulder taps you are doing. While you are doing this, make sure that cores are engaged and that your hips are properly level.
Easy: If you want to do an easier version of the exercise, do not worry about doing the shoulder taps. All you need to do is to focus on having a steady plank. Even planks that are static but are sort of high can give you a perfect workout for your arms, back, and core as well.
Harder: If you want to make your planks a bit more challenging, then you can add a shoulder tap. The idea here is to do a shoulder tap on each side and then continue to do a push-up. If this seems to be a bit too much, do the pushup after every 5 shoulder taps on each side.
Sit-ups: Glute Bridge
In order to do this exercise, first, lie flat on your back. Your knees should ideally be a bit bent and your feet should also be pressing into the surface of the yoga mat at about hip-width apart. Make sure that your arms are straight and on the sides. Your hands should be pressing very firmly into your mat.
After you have arrived there, make sure that your core is engaged, your glutes are squeezed, and that you are pressing into the foundation in order to be able to lift your butt properly. Once you have been able to elevate your butt, you should have a straight line that goes all the way from your shoulders right to the knees. After this, lower your butt towards the ground. This is called a glute bridge.
Make sure that your core is engaged and that you are able to touch your knees with your chest. While keeping your core engaged and also having your back straight, your arms should reach out in order to ensure that you have proper form. This is known as a sit-up. From there on onwards, alternate between glute bridge exercises and sit-ups.
Oblique Crunches on Your Tabletop
Make sure that when you start, you are in a tabletop position. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart and also, your knees should be about hip-width apart. Make sure that your back is flat and that you have engaged your core properly. After this has been done, rotate the right hip so as to lift the other knee off of the ground. Make sure that you continue raising your knees until it is properly aligned with the motion of your back.
This type of exercise is also known as a fire hydrant for pretty obvious reasons. After this, make sure that you bring back the bent knee toward your elbows in order to accomplish what is known as an oblique crunch. After this, make sure that you carefully swing your leg back into its default position. One thing that you ought to make sure of is that your legs stay in the air during the entire motion.
So, as you can see, Yoga Mats can really help you do a ton of really good exercises right at the comfort of your own home. Indeed, after reading this article and becoming privy to the information in it, you really cannot complain about not being able to go to the gym. All you really need is just a Yoga Mat.
