Traveling seminars, yoga tours, conferences are a significant and exciting part of the practice of any passionate yoga enthusiast. And, of course, a yoga traveler has completely different requirements for a mat than a home or studio yoga mat. Properties such as eco-friendliness, elasticity and, sometimes, even stickiness fade into the background. But the compactness of the mat and its weight become very important. If training is planned outdoors, durability becomes a priority property.
It is considered that a mat is suitable for the “Always with you” category if it meets the following criteria: weight up to 1 kg and thickness up to 2 mm. If the mat can be folded like an “envelope”, this is also a plus, as it allows you to carry it in a regular bag. Alas, knees and feet have to pay for the light weight and thickness - a thin mat is a hard mat.
There are mats that combine almost all the criteria. For example, Salamander Slim weighs 950 grams, is 2 mm thick, is made of natural rubber and can be folded into an envelope. The Kailash mat weighs about 1 kg, is 3 mm thick, but has increased strength and is recommended for outdoor practice. It is not afraid of pebbles and branches, dew and other dangers.
Now light and compact mats are increasingly used for practice in the studio, as a personal hygienic space. It is simply laid over a regular yoga mat, often not very clean and sticky. This eliminates problems with both hygiene and comfort. Take a closer look at the Salamander Carbon Travel mats - perhaps you will not find a better mat for this purpose.
Thin and durable mats are often used by advanced amateurs and instructors. You quickly get used to the rigidity of the surface, and the thin mat provides high stability in balance asanas - an indispensable property in complex poses that require a fine sense of balance.
What to choose?
Interval training has become fashionable due to the relatively short duration of training in this format. Run for 20-25 minutes and you are free with 14% EPOC. However, regular and too frequent repetition of this type of training inevitably leads to overtraining due to overload of the central nervous system. Therefore, interval cardio is prescribed in doses, for example, once a week in the presence of strength training (2-3 times).
Low-intensity cardio requires more time. It is difficult to perform due to monotony and boredom, but you can burn more calories, since the duration of a cardio session can be from 50 to 60 minutes. What is equally important is that you can train in this format often, since aerobic cardio practically does not load the central nervous system.
Therefore, against the background of strength training, they choose not interval cardio, but regular - low-intensity. Feel free to put cardio on non-strength days, and do not be afraid of overtraining.
Final Words
Don't look for magical fat-burning workouts. High or low intensity - it doesn't matter. What matters is creating a calorie deficit, and any type of exercise is suitable for this task.
Choose what you like. This approach will allow you to follow the chosen training plan longer, as a result of which you will lose weight without breakdowns and pauses.
Instead of trying to figure out which type of cardio is more effective, combine all of its types. At the beginning of the week, try an aerobic run, in the middle – a strength workout, and on the weekend – an interval workout, which does not require much time. Variety is the key to success in losing weight, and not only in your diet, but also in your workouts.