If you run a hot yoga studio, or a yoga studio that offers hot yoga classes, the best investment you can make for your facility is quality hot yoga flooring. Choosing the right yoga flooring can make or break your studio’s success as well as the experience for each and every one of your students. There are many different yoga flooring options, but not all of them are ideal for hot yoga.
If hot yoga is a common practice at your studio, here are three qualities your yoga flooring should have:
#1: Waterproofing
What comes with hot yoga? Sweat. It’s a natural part of the practice, but it can also wreak havoc on flooring that is not specially designed to handle the excess moisture. A flooring option like carpet absorbs moisture, leaving you with the risk of developing mold (not to mention holding in unpleasant odors). Even wood flooring — whether it’s hardwood, bamboo, reclaimed wood, etc. — absorbs and holds in moisture.
The best type of flooring for hot yoga is waterproof tiles that do not allow moisture to get into the soft and supportive foam core that makes them comfortable to practice on.
#2: Non-warping
What happens to flooring that frequently absorbs and releases excess moisture? Buckling, warping, cracking, etc. You want your yoga flooring investment to last but hot yoga puts an extra amount of stress on already strained flooring. That’s why you need a flooring option that will not bend or buckle when moisture is present and when temperatures are frequently turned up and down.
#3: Easy-to-clean
Frequent cleanings are a routine part of every yoga studio, but when hot yoga is a frequent practice, cleaning away the sweat becomes that much more important. While some flooring is easy to clean (hardwood & yoga tiles), others, like carpeting, are not. Repeated cleanings also means that you will be wearing down your flooring at a faster rate, which is why you need to invest in flooring that is durable and can withstand years of use and constant cleaning. Look for yoga tiles that are easy to clean and come with a warranty, allowing you to get the most out of your investment.