Can I Use a Yoga Mat under My Treadmill?

Have you bought a new treadmill and set it up? One of the best ways to improve your experience on a treadmill is to use a mat to help keep dust off and soak up vibrations. A common question regarding this is, can I use a yoga mat under my treadmill?

Although you can use a yoga mat, there are certain things you need to keep in mind before placing it. This article will aim to answer that question in further detail.

Why Use a Yoga Mat Under Your Treadmill?

It is not uncommon to have a dedicated mat placed under your treadmill. Some people will also prefer to place a yoga mat instead if they have one lying around in their house. There are primarily two advantages of placing a mat under your treadmill.

The first advantage is that it keeps dust from gathering up under your treadmill. It keeps the bottom area much cleaner. If your treadmill is placed in an area that tends to collect a lot of dust over time you might want to consider placing a mat under it. You can easily clean the dust by removing the mat and then washing it.

One other advantage and one of the main reasons this is done is that a proper mat can soak up vibrations and noise from your treadmill. If your treadmill is quite noisy when you run on it, you can easily fix that by placing a thick enough mat.

One inquiry that treadmill owners have is “do I need a treadmill mat on concrete floor?” Yes, treadmills on concrete floors cause a lot of noise so a mat becomes a necessity.

This is also important as mats protect your floor from damage. If a treadmill sees heavy use or experiences heavy load it can damage the floor. You might ask: can you put a treadmill on a tile floor? For a tile floor, you will require a good yoga or treadmill mat otherwise you’ll start seeing marks on the floor.

Is a Yoga Mat Necessary If You Have a Carpet?

People who place their treadmills on top of a carpet often ask “do you need a mat under a treadmill on carpet?” Although the carpet helps to keep dust off and keep the treadmill cleaner, the carpet itself is also at risk of being worn down.

It doesn’t offer sufficient protection and an expensive carpet can easily be ruined from the use of a treadmill over it.

If you have a throwaway carpet, you can use it as a substitute since a thick one can offer the same level of noise protection and absorb vibrations. However, generally, a yoga or treadmill mat will last far longer and offer similar protection.

Yoga Mat Vs. Treadmill Mat

We’ve mentioned both a yoga mat and a treadmill mat and now we’ll compare the two.

Yoga mats are more general use and not all of them will be effective for using with a treadmill. Some yoga mats aren’t thick enough to properly absorb all the noise and vibration. They won’t protect your floor enough and will often get worn down quickly.

Treadmill mats are designed specifically for placing under the treadmill. They are much heavier and sturdier than most yoga mats and thus offer much better sound and vibration reduction.

These mats will also last much longer and protect your floor much better. They also have a smooth surface so that they don’t damage the floor themselves.

So, as you can see, in almost all cases, treadmill mats outperform yoga mats. Although yoga mats can be used, most of the commonly used ones aren’t thick enough for treadmills. You will benefit more from having a properly sized treadmill mat for your home as they support all weights.

What Treadmill Mat Thickness Is Required?

People interested in buying a treadmill mat are often confused when considering how thick should a treadmill mat be. It depends on the weight of the treadmill. Heavier treadmills will require thicker mats. Also, some mats are made out of stronger materials. So, even if they are thinner, they can do their job just fine.

Conclusion

Although the answer to the question “can I use a yoga mat under my treadmill?” is a yes, it is not recommended. A specialized treadmill mat will perform the job much better than a yoga mat and will protect your floor too.

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