I’m a seasoned yogi and this budget-friendly yoga mat is my favourite

If you’re feeling stiff, tired or stressed, have you thought about increasing the time you spend stretching? From gentle moves that open up our joints to more advanced yoga poses that increase flexibility, getting the blood flowing around our bodies has proven benefits for physical and mental health.

Creating a safe, calming environment in which to stretch is the key to motivation, especially for beginners. Making a dedicated place to move and going off to spend a set amount of time there – whether it’s 10 minutes or 45 minutes – makes it easier to focus on your movements and get the most out of your practice. It doesn’t have to be a big area either, just a yoga-mat-sized space with a few inches on either side so that you don’t feel boxed in.

But before you rush out and buy just any old yoga mat, it’s important to be aware that they vary hugely in terms of price, thickness and support. At the lower end of the price spectrum, at just £32, is the Myprotein yoga mat , which is 6mm thick and made from high-density foam that promises to soften the impact. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot more comfortable than any mat I’ve previously used.

How I tested

From 15-minute stretches to longer flows powered by the YouTube channel Yoga With Adrienne, I’ve been using (and testing) this mat for all of my sessions for months. I got down onto the floor and manoeuvred myself into different positions to see how it fared under my movements. I used it both on my carpeted bedroom floor and on my hardwood living room floor to assess grip and stability.

Between practices, I rolled it up for storage, unrolled it for use and checked to see whether the mat was still fully on the floor and that it still smelled good – nobody wants to do a headstand on a mat that has an odour of feet or sweat. Keep reading for why it’s my new favourite.

Myprotein black yoga mat

The verdict: Myprotein black yoga mat