How to make your own eco-friendly Pilates mat?

Today I want to show you how to make your own pilates mat at home, and environmentally friendly, but before that, I want to mention a couple of things.

1. Pilates and yoga are not the same

Although both are very famous and with several similarities; these are very different disciplines. There are many people who tend to confuse them and think that they require the same elements to practice them, and it is true that at first glance they seem to be the same but have slight differences, let’s go ever them:

1. Both use a mat, but in the case of Pilates it needs to be thicker to protect the spine and in yoga it has to be thinner to ensure fixation on the floor when doing the postures.
2. In Pilates the breathing is thoracic and focuses on the activation of the core, while in yoga the breathing is more abdominal and seeks concentration.
3. With Pilates you can strengthen the body and tone the muscles, while yoga is focused on relaxation.
4. Pilates is oriented towards awareness in the body and mind, while yoga is more of a philosophy and a lifestyle linked to Indian spirituality, where it comes from.

Now, we have to understand why it is important to use a proper mat for achieving our purpose in Pilates.

2. Why do we use it?

It is important to have a mat so that we don’t injure our body or joints, this is because most of the exercises are performed lying down, kneeling or sitting. By using the mat, you take care of your back and avoid high impact on your joints, the mat works as a cushion.

Steps to make your own Pilates mat at home

Making your own mat is very simple, you’ll be surprised, take note of what you need.

1. Get a cork between 0.3 and 0.5 inches thick, this is the ideal one for Pilates. (You can get it online)
2. Then cut the cork 8 inches longer than your height and you can make it 3 feet wide to ensure that you fit perfectly and are comfortable.
3. Cut the edges with a rounded shape to avoid damages in the cork.

With just these 3 steps, you will have your mat ready to start your workouts. You can try it out with this StepFlix Pilates class.

Remember that it is your mat so don’t forget that you can decorate it and paint it the way you want. You can even color it with wax crayons that children use, letting your imagination fly. Finally I’ll leave you some curious facts to encourage you that making your cork mat is the best option.

1. 1. 1. It is a recyclable and natural material
      2. It’s waterproof, therefore we should not worry about it getting damaged due to sweat.
      3. Perfect thermal insulator, so it supports both very cold and very hot temperatures, thus maintaining a stable temperature.
      4. Resistant to pressure, which gives it the ability to keep its initial form.
      5. It is a natural repellent of insects, small bugs or microorganisms, which allows you to have a clean surface all the time.
      6. It is a hypoallergenic, antibacterial, waterproof and easy to clean material. In short, what you are needing.

In Pilates, other props are used, such as balls and blocks. These can also be replaced, the balls you can change them for cushions or small padded pillows so that they can be pressed and the blocks you can replace them with hardcover books.

Now you no longer have an excuse to workout!