The all-rounder Yoga/fitness mat; why the Kin Yoga mat is so good for yoga and all your home fitness too. Our founder Laura Pearce talks you through it.

“What an adjustment we’ve all made this past few feeks. It seems this isolation has sprung up almost over night, and yet the resilience of the British public shines through as we seem to be putting up and coping the very best we can. We seem to be slipping into beautiful routines that include a variety of home fitness videos. Religious Yogis are branching out into Barry’s bootcamp, Joe Wicks and all manner of high intensity workouts, and the HIIT lovers are diving into Yoga and relaxation too!

I’ve taught and practiced Yoga now for over 15 years, and it is my first and biggest life love. I do however take inspiration from various movement forms, I also teach Pilates, and train in the gym (weight training and the occasional HIIT class too). We developed the classic Kin mat with the idea that it will be an amazing mat for Yoga, but you’ll be able to use it for ALL your home fitness too; who wants a house full of 5 different mats serving different purposes, when you can have one?!

Here are some of my favourite training formats, and why the classic Kin mats work just as well for them, as it does for Yoga.

PILATES:

The unique tri-layer build of our classic Kin mat makes it that extra bit more comfortable; the air-bubble filled mid layer gives your mat a subtle extra pocket of cushioning, without adding to the size or weight. It’s a 4mm thick mat that feels like 6mm. This is important for a lot of people in their Yoga practice (mostly to support knees and ‘bony’ bits digging in uncomfortably) but it also makes the mat perfect for Pilates; generally Pilates mats are built thicker than Yoga mats, as you need the cushioning for your spine. The classic Kin mat is perfectly padded for Pilates; you can roll down until the cows come home on it!

WEIGHT TRAINING & BODYWEIGHT CLASSES:

A lot of online classes are based around bodyweight training, or sometimes the use of weights too. These classes often involve quick changes in position and a lot of repetitions that are often much more comfy on the mat than the floor (eg press-ups, sit-ups, planks…). The problem with a lot of ‘fitness’ mats it that they tend to be foamy and stretch around, which makes them comfy, but un-trustworthy; the last thing you want is for your mat to stretch and slide mid push up, ruining your form at best, and injuring you at worst. The classic Kin mat is solid and packs enough density that you can totally trust it to keep you comfy AND stable in your form. A great Yoga mat for your home workouts!

HIIT & DYNAMIC TRAINING

Influencer @harry.sellers on his Kin Explorer mat

Finally for HIIT, cross-fit, bootcamp style or circuit fitness, you also need a super stable mat, but most importantly you need a mat that grips the floor. You don’t do jump-squats/lunges, burpees, or spot running on a mat in the gym, but only because it would slip and slide out across the floor from under you and leave you falling flat on your face! The base-layer of the Kin mat is made from 100% natural rubber, with a unique tread (like a car tyre) that grips the floor like a boss. You can be as dynamic and jumpy as you like, and your Kin mat won’t move. It stays glued to pretty much any floor; you can trust it.

Not only that but using a mat underfoot for plyometrics (jumping actions) helps to support the joints by absorbing the shock of your landing. A great Yoga mat all high intensity fitness.

So those are the reasons why you need not just a great Yoga mat, but a great, functional fitness mat too, and the classic Kin mat is perfect for it all!

Lots of love & light,

Laura”

Kin founder