Best yoga mat for tall man to avoid injuries and discomfort

The practice of yoga can be really hard without the right yoga mat. You can imagine yourself practicing the sun salutation or the downward facing dog with your hands and feet stretched outside the limit of your yoga mat. This becomes even more difficult when you are looking for the best yoga mat for tall man. So why is it so difficult?

It is difficult because most of the yoga mats are only around 68 inches (1.72m) to 70 inches (1.78m) long with a width of 24 inches. For a person with average height, this provides sufficient space for any type of yoga pose imaginable. But this will not work for someone who is even slightly taller and they will have a tough time while doing these poses.

What this really means is that anyone who is taller than 68 inches will not even be able to stretch out fully while they are lying down on the standard sized yoga mat.

There is a sad fact here. Many mats which are actually advertised to taller people are only marginally longer than the standard mats. As a result, the struggle to find the right yoga mat for a tall man becomes painfully real.

Yoga mat options available for a tall man

Manduka pro yoga and pilates mat

Manduka is one of the best brands in terms of quality and performance in the yoga space. In fact, the company is is best known for the way it revolutionized how yoga mats were perceived. These yoga mats are non slip and provide a lot of grip. They are sweat-resistant and eco-friendly. A higher thickness can comfortably provide support to all parts of your body while practicing yoga without causing any strain.

Yoga accessories extra long deluxe yoga mat

This mat is made with sticky foam and is highly durable. It is sticky with higher thickness. This provides you a better grip so that you can practice yoga without worrying about slipping during the more difficult poses. It can be easily cleaned and stored making it a very good choice for taller men.

A 6 feet super large and square mat for extra width

If you are looking for a really comfortable mat although slightly bigger then the usual ones available in the market, please consider this 6 feet super large and square mat for your yoga practice. It is made of non-toxic and highest grade material. It provides the perfect setup for your home yoga sessions, pilates, meditation or stretching.

Pogomat large yoga and stretching mat

This yoga mat is one of the longest yoga mats available in the market today. It is made of memory foam which makes it different from other options and slightly costly. Memory foam is supposed to adapt itself according to your body contours resulting in better comfort.

This mat is eco friendly and safe since it is made up of non-toxic materials and at the same time it provides an anti slip surface for better yoga practice.

Gaiam athletic yoga series

Gaiam is one of the better known brands in the yoga supplies space and there are a number of customers who swear by the brand. The mat has a sticky, non-slip surface which provides better balance and stability during the difficult yoga poses.

How to choose the most suitable yoga mat option for you?

When it comes to practicing different yoga poses, even tall men deserve the same level of comfort quality and grip as everyone else. What this means is that a little more space on their yoga mats will go a long way in improving their overall well being.

For people who are really tall, simple poses like downward dog or the Reverse warrior pose require a little more extra width and length from the mat.

This is why you should keep the following factors in mind while choosing a suitable yoga mat for tall man:

Length and width of yoga mat

The width of the yoga mat is also important while choosing a longer yoga mat. The standard mats have a width of about 24 inches. This is why, if you have relatively broader shoulders or you need more space, you have to consider the width along with the length of the mat.

This will also give you a little extra elbow room which will make the whole exercise of practicing yoga more enjoyable.

Avoid injuries

If you are using a yoga mat which is too small for you, you will be practicing yoga on an uneven surface in case of some poses. This will not only cause a lot of discomfort to you but it can also lead to injuries.

Better grip while doing asanas

Yoga mats provide cushioning while practicing different asanas and also help both your hands and feet with grip. This allows you to move comfortably into different poses and positions. If you are using a mat which does not really fit your height, you will face a lot of discomfort while trying to practice the right poses.

If one part of your body is on the floor while another one is on the mat, it is really hard to get a good grip going. Right sized yoga mats will really help you in sorting this out.

More enjoyable yoga experience

Let’s face it. Exercising has never been too much fun for a lot of us and we constantly keep looking for reasons to avoid it. Don’t let the simple issue of wrongly-sized yoga mat affect your enjoyable yoga experience and get in the way of you reaping all the benefits from your yoga journey.

Thickness of the yoga mat

Yoga mats provide cushioning for your knees and elbows while you are practicing different poses. This is where the thickness of the mat is extremely critical. Although the choice of thickness is completely personal and it depends on how much cushioning you need for your comfort, usually 4 mm to 6 mm yoga mats are quite common. You can opt for thicker mats as well and determine which one works best for you.

If you opt for an extremely thick mat, it will give you a lot of support but it will be extremely heavy and unwieldy to carry around. The thickness of mat is also dependent on the kind of yoga you are planning to practice. For example in case of hot yoga, you should ideally prefer a thinner mat because it will help you in keeping your body cool.

Material

Yoga mats are made of multiple materials like rubber, PVC, cotton and jute. Nowadays, there are several eco-friendly yoga mats which are also available. In addition to this, people now also have self rolling yoga mats and smart yoga mats which interface with Alexa as well.

My suggestion would be to try out some of these different materials and understand where do you feel most comfortable while doing the more stretchy poses.

Absorption capacity

This one is directly related to the material of yoga mat. While you are practicing yoga and specially the exhausting ones like hot yoga or power yoga, you will be sweating a lot. That is why, you need to choose a yoga mat which will help you to keep your body cool and also not absorb a lot of sweat.

If you are choosing a yoga mat which will absorb sweat, please keep in mind the washing requirements for the mat. In such cases it would make sense to have a machine washable yoga mat.

Best yoga mat for tall man to avoid discomfort

Texture and feel

The right texture of a yoga mat can be extremely important since it will help you with your practice and would not allow you to slip while you are practicing different yoga poses. There are a lot of yoga mats which come with different textures that keep you comfortable during usage. Please ensure that you have chosen a non-slip mat which helps with the grip while selecting the right yoga mat for a tall man.

In conclusion, we can say that although finding the perfect yoga mat for a tall man is relatively difficult, it is really worth it if you are planning to practice yoga for a long time. You might not be able to find the right yoga mat in your immediate vicinity but there are a lot of options available online.

So go ahead. buy the right yoga mat and get more out of your yoga experience both physically and mentally.

Frequently asked questions

What length of yoga mat do you need?

If you are struggling with questions like how long should your yoga mat be or what is the right yoga mat length for your height, you should consider buying a mat which will allow you to lie down on it comfortably with both your head and toes on the mat.

Based on the logic that a person should have sufficient space to stretch out completely on the yoga mat, here is a quick guide for the required length of yoga mat for tall man: