Exercise Gear

The best yoga mats are used to create a designated space for yoga practice, providing a cushioned, grippy surface that enhances comfort, stability, and focus during poses and exercises. Yoga mats cushion and support the joints, particularly the knees and wrists. The non-slip surface of a yoga mat helps maintain grip and stability. Yoga mats also offer a sanitary barrier between you and the floor. These mats aren’t just for yoga, either. They can also be useful as a surface for meditation, basic stretching, or to perform bodyweight exercises like pushups, planks, or situps.

The “best” thickness for a yoga mat depends on your individual needs and preferences. Our yoga mats come in four models based on thickness: Solana (1”), Solana (0.5”), Pismo (0.25”/6mm), and Laguna (0.2”/5mm).

The thickest yoga mats (1”) provide maximum cushioning and support, and are best for those with joint pain, beginner yogis, or those looking for comfort. Because these mats are so thick and squishy, they can feel unstable for advanced balancing poses, and may make it difficult to feel grounded and connected to the floor. Thicker yoga mats are also harder to store and transport. (It’s almost impossible to take a 1” yoga mat with you on the go.) On the other end of the spectrum, the thinnest yoga mats (6mm to 5mm) provide an intimate connection to the floor, and will offer a stable, grounded feeling. They’re also much lighter, and easier to store and travel with. Experienced yoga practitioners usually prefer thinner mats.

Both rubber and foam offer pros and cons. Rubber yoga mats provide excellent grip and durability. They are usually eco-friendly, provide a stable surface for standing poses, and tend to be more durable than foam mats. However, they are less cushioned. Our thinnest yoga mat, Laguna, is primarily made from rubber with a polyurethane (PU) top coating for grip. Foam mats provide more cushioning for joints, and come in a wider range of colors and styles. Our Solana (1”), Solana (0.5”), and Pismo are all foam yoga mats. If you prioritize grip and durability, a rubber mat might be a good choice. If you prefer cushioning, a foam mat could be a better fit.

While not strictly necessary, choosing a yoga mat that's slightly longer than your height will offer several advantages. A longer mat provides extra space to stretch out fully, in poses like downward-facing dog or forward lunges, without feeling constricted. A longer mat will also prevent your hands or feet from slipping off during transitions or dynamic movements. If you're taller or have a longer stride, a longer mat will make a noticeable difference in your comfort and overall yoga experience. All our yoga mats are 72 inches long, so there’s plenty of space for practitioners of all heights!

How often you wash your yoga mat depends on how often you use it and the intensity of your practice. A good rule of thumb is to give it a quick wipe after each session, using a damp cloth and a gentle cleaner specifically designed for yoga mats. For a deeper clean, aim to wash your mat thoroughly at least once a month, or more frequently if you practice hot yoga or tend to sweat heavily. Regular cleaning not only maintains the hygiene of your mat, it also prolongs its lifespan.

Whether you fold or roll your yoga mat will likely depend on its thickness. Thicker yoga mats simply will not fold, and will need to be rolled. Thinner mats will give you more options. In general, rolling is always the best option to preserve the mat's integrity and longevity. (Folding creates creases that can weaken the mat's material over time, potentially leading to cracks or tears.) Rolling maintains the mat's natural shape and prevents this creasing. Folding a yoga mat before you roll it, however, is technically more hygienic, preventing the top surface of the mat from coming into contact with the bottom (i.e. the floor). That’s why some yoga practitioners prefer folding.

The lifespan of a yoga mat depends on several factors, including the quality of materials, how often you use it, and how well it’s cared for. A well-maintained, high-quality yoga mat made from durable materials like rubber or polyurethane will last for several years, even with daily use. Cheaper mats made from may show wear and tear sooner, potentially needing replacement within a year or two. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to tell when it’s time to replace your yoga mat. Look for noticeable thinning, loss of grip, or a persistent odor even after cleaning.

A medicine ball is a weighted ball, usually about the diameter of your shoulders, used for a variety of exercises. The best medicine balls are made from durable, grippy materials like polyurethane leather that will handle extensive use. Medicine balls come in a variety of weights—from as light as 4 lbs up to 30 lbs—making them useful for athletes of all strength and experience levels, and adaptable for everything from rehabilitation to power training. Unlike dumbbells or barbells, medicine balls are designed to be thrown and caught, adding a dynamic element to your workouts and improving not just strength, but coordination and explosive power.

Medicine balls are versatile tools used to enhance strength, power, and core stability. They can be thrown, caught, and incorporated into various movement exercises to increase resistance and challenge muscles. Medicine balls are also useful for rehabilitation, improving range of motion, and boosting cardiovascular fitness through circuit training or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. Their versatility makes them suitable for individuals of all fitness levels, from athletes seeking to improve power and coordination to those recovering from injuries.

While their names might sound similar, exercise balls and medicine balls are two very different fitness tools. An exercise ball, also known as a yoga ball or stability ball, is a large inflatable ball used for a variety of exercises that promote balance, core strength, and flexibility. They can be used for anything from core strengthening and stretching to rehabilitation exercises and even as a substitute for an office chair.

As mentioned above, a medicine ball is a denser, weighted ball, traditionally made of leather or rubber, used for strength training and plyometric exercises. Unlike the bouncy, inflatable exercise ball, medicine balls are designed to be lifted, thrown, and caught, adding resistance and intensity to your workouts. They are commonly used in exercises like slams, throws, and twists to improve power, coordination, and explosiveness.

Exercise balls are usually made from a durable synthetic, like polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This synthetic plastic is known for its flexibility, resilience and puncture resistance. The PVC used for our exercise balls is also treated with a burst-resistant coating, adding an extra layer of safety in case of accidental puncture. This ensures that, in the event of a puncture, the ball deflates slowly rather than “popping” abruptly, minimizing risk of injury.

While not strictly necessary, an exercise ball base can be a useful addition to your home gym setup. The primary function of a base for your exercise ball is to provide stability and prevent the ball from rolling away during exercises. This is particularly helpful for beginners who are still developing their balance and coordination on the ball, or for those using the ball on uneven surfaces. Exercise ball bases are also useful to store your ball when not in use, so it isn’t constantly rolling around your house. Our Luna Exercise Ball comes with a base, so you don’t need to worry!

Workout clubs and maces are weight training tools that offer a dynamic and functional approach to fitness. They resemble ancient hand-to-hand combat weapons (clubs and maces) with a long handle and a blunt, weighted end.

A Workout club looks remarkably similar to the weapon it’s named after. It features a handle and a wider, heavier end, sort of like a baseball bat, but thicker. Compared to maces, clubs (also called “clubbells”) have a short handle and a more evenly distributed weight, instead of the weight being packed into a tight ball on the end of the shaft. This makes them versatile for a variety of exercises, including swings, rotations, and throws. They're great for building grip strength, shoulder stability, and overall coordination.

Compared to a club, steel maces or “macebells” have a longer (but thinner and lighter) handle and a heavy, bulbous head, with the majority of the weight concentrated at the very end. This creates a greater offset weight and leverage challenge, making them ideal for rehabilitation, as well as developing rotational power, core strength, and shoulder mobility. Maces are often used for dynamic swinging movements that engage the entire body.

Store your medicine balls, steel clubs and maces in a cool, dry place where they won't be exposed to extreme temperatures or moisture. A dedicated storage rack or shelf is a great option to keep them organized, and prevent them from rolling around. If space is limited, you can also store them in a corner or along a wall, ensuring they are secure and won't fall or cause damage.

A yoga bolster is a versatile prop designed to support and enhance your yoga practice. It's essentially a firm, elongated cushion that can be used in various ways to provide comfort, stability, and deeper stretches. Yoga bolsters are commonly used in restorative yoga poses, pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation to help align the body, open the chest, and promote relaxation. They can also be used to modify poses for different levels of flexibility and support injuries or limitations.

A meditation cushion, sometimes called a zafu, is a firm, elevated cushion specifically designed to support comfortable posture during meditation. It typically has a round or crescent shape and is filled with materials like buckwheat hulls, kapok, or cotton batting. By raising the hips above the knees, a meditation cushion helps align the spine, promoting better posture and reducing discomfort during extended meditation sessions. This allows practitioners to focus on their breath and mindfulness, without being distracted by aches or pains from sitting directly on the floor.

A plyometric (“plyo”) box, also known as a leap platform, is a piece of exercise equipment used for plyometric training. Traditionally these were sturdy boxes, typically made of wood, foam, or soft plyometric material, that come in various heights. Modern leap platforms, however, are made from durable steel, coated with grippy polyurethane leather. These platforms/boxes are designed to be jumped on and off of, helping to develop explosive power, speed, and agility. They are commonly used in CrossFit, HIIT workouts, and sports conditioning to improve lower body strength and cardiovascular fitness.

Resistance bands are elastic bands, typically made of rubber or a synthetic, stretchy fabric, used for strength training and rehabilitation exercises. They come in various levels of resistance, indicated by different colors or thicknesses, allowing users to customize the intensity of their workouts. Resistance bands are a versatile and portable exercise tool that can be used to target various muscle groups. They are often used for home workouts, physical therapy, and Pilates due to their affordability and effectiveness in improving strength, flexibility, and mobility.

Resistance bands are one of the most versatile workout tools in existence and canbe used to engage muscle groups throughout the entire body. For the lower body, they effectively target quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, aiding in squats, lunges, and leg curls. In the upper body, resistance bands can strengthen the back, chest, shoulders, and arms, proving useful for rows, presses, and bicep curls. They also engage the core, assisting with exercises like Russian twists and standing anti-rotation presses.

Booty bands, also known as hip bands, are a specific type of resistance band worn around the legs during workouts. These bands are dubbed “booty bands” because they’re primarily used to target and strengthen the gluteal muscles, hips, and thighs. Booty bands add resistance to exercises like squats, lunges, and hip abductions, increasing muscle activation and enhancing workout intensity. Like other types of resistance bands, they’re popular for home workouts, gym sessions, and rehabilitation exercises due to their affordability, portability, and effectiveness in toning and strengthening the lower body.

Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release to relieve soft tissue adhesions or “trigger points,” where your muscle fibers and fascia have become glued together. Some trigger points and adhesions can be worked out by direct kneading using your hands, but others, particularly large muscle groups in the lower body like the quads, are hard to apply significant force to by yourself. Foam rollers are large cylinders of dense foam that allow you to use your body weight to apply targeted, direct pressure to these locations, “releasing” the tension.

Our Relief EPP Foam Roller comes in 18” and 36” lengths. For most beginners using a foam roller at home, a 36-inch roller is a good choice. This length provides versatility for use on various body parts, including the back, legs, and glutes. A longer roller is also more stable than shorter rollers, especially when working on large muscle groups. Shorter (18”) rollers have an edge in portability, so they’re better if you want to take your roller to the gym, or if you’re traveling.

Foam rollers come in a variety of sizes, but 5” to 6” is the most common foam roller diameter, and the best one for most uses. This size provides a comfortable height to ease your body onto the roller and target large muscle groups, like the hamstring and quad. Smaller rollers (3” to 4”) provide a more targeted, but intense massage.

As a beginner to foam rolling, the most important step is to be gentle. There are plenty of in-depth guides online, but the general practice is to slowly roll your body weight over the targeted muscle group, pausing on tender spots for 20 to 30 seconds. Avoid rolling directly over joints or bones. Remember to breathe deeply as you roll, and stay hydrated. Both these things will help your muscles relax further. Err on the side of caution during your first few sessions. It’s easy to flare up muscles with aggressive rolling. The more regularly you foam roll, the more used to it your body will become.

A home gym structure like our Sculpt Power Tower provides a comprehensive and efficient workout experience, allowing you to target multiple muscle groups via a variety of bodyweight exercises with a single, compact workout system. Its vertical design maximizes space while offering diverse exercise options, including pull-ups, dips, and leg raises. This versatility eliminates the need for multiple pieces of equipment, making it ideal for workout enthusiasts with limited space or budget constraints.

Home gym stations allow you to perform a variety of bodyweight exercises targeting lower body, back, core, and arms. These include both wide and narrow pull-ups and chin-ups, as well as dips, knee raises, and front levers. There are also low bars to improve your push-up form.