This week, Digital Account Manager Lucy tests her Sweaty Betty Pilates socks and the adidas fitness mat in our first collaborative brand test. Lucy gives these two products a run for their money during her weekly hot yoga fitness class.
More recently I have wanted to combine my usual weekly classes of Body Pump and Spinning with some proper relaxation and stretching so have started doing hot yoga.
Working in a heated room increases your heart rate, which makes your body work harder in stretches and poses. It’s also said to be a great detox for the body… you can believe that when you realise how much you sweat during the class…lovely!
After a few classes, I realised I definitely needed my own mat. Not only because the ones at the gym have been used in other hot (and very sweaty) classes but because the provided ones are really thin. Mat thickness is really important because in a 90 minute hot yoga class you tend to hold moves for longer so your knees and wrists need a good supporting surface. Secondly, (and probably most importantly) in hot yoga it’s very easy to slip.
I used the adidas fitness mat, which has a nice velcro strap making it easy to roll up and carry. Although this mat is designed for home fitness rather than yoga, it’s a lot more robust than the standard gym mats. I did find, however, the mat was a little stretchy during extended leg poses. If doing extensive amounts of yoga, and don’t mind a thinner mat, I would recommend a yoga specific mat.
In a bid to also try and stop slipping, I also trialled the Sweaty Betty Pilates socks, which were great.
They are made from a breathable, sweat wicking fabric and come with an anti-slip panel on the bottom of the foot. The stretchy band across the top of the foot helps to keep them in place while you move around – all of which are really helpful in a hot yoga class.
