If you enjoy yoga on a regular basis and find yourself traveling, then you probably want to bring your own yoga mat on the road.
For those of us who don’t know how to travel with yoga mats, we often find ourselves using ones at hotels or going without.
Usually, these aren’t great options because the hotel may not have clean ones or you may just prefer to use your own. If you find yourself with this problem, then use this advice to keep your mat handy.
1. Invest in a Travel Yoga Mat
The best travel yoga mat is ultimately the one that’s easy to pack and carry with you. If your regular yoga mat is bulky or doesn’t travel well, then you may want to purchase one specifically designed for on-the-go.
Look for ones that are lightweight and come with a strap or bag to make it easy to take with you.
2. Use the Bag as a Carry-On
If you’re traveling by plane, chances are that you can only have one carry-on. Yoga bags are small enough to meet the carry-on size requirements for most airlines.
These bags are designed to hold a yoga mat but also have extra pockets which can hold your wallet and anything else you might want to carry-on.
Also, by keeping your mat on you, you can always unroll the mat at the airport if your flight is delayed.
3. Get a Travel Backpack
If you’re bringing a backpack with you, think about getting one that has compression straps and elastic bands.
Most travel or backpacking style ones will have these extra features. You can use these tools to attach a rolled yoga mat to the outside securely.
4. Shipping Your Mat
Chances are, this isn’t going to be the best piece of advice but you may want to consider this option if have limited luggage options or if you’re moving.
If you’re in a situation where you may not be carrying your luggage on your trip, but instead shipping it to your final destination, then you can also ship the mat.
5. Use a Folding Mat
Since many yoga mats roll up, they can actually take up more space than you realize. Yoga enthusiasts who travel on a regular basis recommend purchasing a yoga mat that is designed to fold up rather than roll.
You can purchase a travel yoga mat that’s lightweight and folds up fairly easily. This type of mat does not use up as much space and may be easier to fit in your bag or an overhead compartment on a plane.
6. Carry-On When Possible
Although some airlines have strict carry-on rules, you should try to keep your mat with you if possible.
With frequent delays and lost luggage, there is always the chance that you’ll go your entire trip without having the mat handy.
Most travelers feel that they have greater piece of mind carrying their mats with them on the plane. This piece of advice is your best bet if you’re traveling by plane.
7. Position is Everything
If you’re traveling by plane, there are two ways to make sure your mat doesn’t get damaged. The first way is to place your mat vertically in the overhead bin.
If you place your mat in the bin horizontally, then you’re taking up a lot more space and there’s also the likelihood that someone will put their bag on top of the mat, squishing it down.
Also, when you’re getting on and off your flight, make sure that you keep track of your mat if it’s strapped outside your bag. It’s too easy to accidentally hit other passengers in cramped aisles which make traveling awkward and can also damage your mat.
Conclusion
We all know that traveling is stressful and it’s important to find ways to relax when you’re away from home.
Keeping up with your yoga is one of the best ways to relieve any travel anxiety and you need the right equipment to do this. Traveling with a yoga mat doesn’t have to be difficult, even if you travel on a regular basis.
It’s well worth the effort to have a dedicated travel yoga mat and use the advice above to make traveling with the mat as easy and pain-free as possible.