Getting the right equipment for your peloton yoga classes can not only elevate your experience but also help you do the harder work easier.
Today I will review some of the most commonly used yoga accessories and explain what you need for your peloton yoga class.
The two main pieces of equipment that are essential to practice yoga on the peloton are the right clothing and a yoga mat. An optional gear that you may consider is pair of yoga blocks, a yoga bolster, and a yoga strap. The non-essentials include an eye pillow to help you relax and liquid chalk to hold the grip if your mat is slippery.
Equipment for peloton yoga classes
Generally speaking, you don’t need a lot of equipment for the peloton yoga classes, apart from the mat.
“If you want to get started with yoga, all you really need is a decent yoga mat that will provide sufficient cushion for your knees,” says Yogi Aaron, a yoga teacher and author of the book Autobiography of a Naked Yogi.
“Using yoga blocks, straps or blankets is important to elevate your practice because they provide you extra support and help you do the poses that you would normally struggle with, but you don’t need them to start,” says Yogi Aaron.
In other words, if you do peloton yoga classes at home, start by getting a good quality mat. You can also get more equipment later.
Essential equipment
Regardless if you just getting started or you’ve been practicing yoga for a long time, the most important gear for a good class is a yoga mat.
Peloton offers two kinds of mats:
- Bike mat – A peloton bike mat should be placed under the bike to protect your floors.
- Reversible workout mat – A Reversible workout mat has a textured surface that holds the grip and is designed to be used for workouts.
Peloton yoga mat
A yoga mat is mandatory for every peloton yoga workout. It not only works as a cushion but also can provide you with a guide on where to place your hands and feet.
For example, an athletic apparel retailer and expert in yoga accessories, Lululemon, design a mat that uses strategically positioned 3D ripples that suggest its users where and how to stand in some of the most common yoga poses.
“We use an innovative, 3D technology to create a unique sensory experience, as well as provide solution to some of the most common alignment challenges in yoga,” says Dennis Wang, an executive accessories designer from Lululemon.
It’s not a typical yoga mat
Peloton provides a reversible workout mat as a part of their essential package, but this is not typical yoga. It’s a workout mat that can be used as a yoga mat.
The difference between a traditional yoga mat and a peloton reversible workout mat is that the yoga mat has different levels of thickness and has a special grippy material that doesn’t slip during practice.
A good yoga mat is also waterproof, which helps to maintain a fraction when hands get sweaty.
Peloton reversible workout mat is made of rubber and latex, which is easy to clean, but is less grippy and comes with one thickness.
This mat is also handy if you do peloton stretch classes, pilates, or other on-the-mat workouts.
Pros
One of the pros of the peloton reversible workout mat is the grip. This mat has an anti-slippery material that holds the poses, even when your hands get sweaty.
“The Peloton workout mat is incredible and I absolutely love it, especially when traveling,” says Kate, one of the members of the peloton social media group.
For me, having a yoga mat with a non-slippery grip is one of the most important factors.
I do my yoga after peloton cycling classes, so I often sweat before the class is even started so having a non-slipper grip is non-negotiable.
Some companies like the aforementioned Lululemon or Manduka also design and manufacture yoga mats that not only have a solid grip but also can last for a very long time.
Cons
The peloton reversible workout mat is around 4mm thick. It is good to be used for general workouts. However, for yoga classes, I would recommend getting a mat that is about 8-10 mm thick.
On average, a good yoga mat should have a 1/4 inch thickness. The thicker the mat, the more comfort you have, especially in the floor poses.
On the other hand, mats that are too thin will put more pressure and make the poses less comfortable.
It is generally better to have a thick yoga mat because they provide you with better support and extra cushioning.
Some peloton yoga classes, like restorative yoga, require one to hold the position for longer, which is much more comfortable on a thick mat.
How to clean
To clean a peloton yoga mat all you need is cleaning wipes like Lysol or Clorox. You can also use soapy warm water with a regular table cloth to wash it.
A good yoga mat should not absorb any moisture and should dry within hours.
Clean once a week
- I recommend cleaning your peloton yoga mat at least once a week or every two weeks, depending on how much you sweat and how often you practice.
- Regular cleaning helps to maintain a good grip because you wash away all the dirt.
- Also, if you sweat a lot and you don’t clean your mat properly it will start to corrosive your mat.
“Sweat is a liquid that is made of water and sodium. Too much sodium on the surface has a corrosive effect, even on metals,” says Lindsay Baker, Ph.D., a Director at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.
This means that regular cleaning of your mat helps not only to maintain its lifespan but also to prevent bad smells.
To get rid of the smell from the peloton yoga mat you need to wash it regularly. People who practice daily yoga, or who sweat a lot should clean their mat after each workout to avoid a bad smell.
Don’t use the washing machine
- In general, peloton yoga mats cannot be washed in the washing machine.
- Travel yoga mats can be washed in the washing machine on the clod wash cycle. The large and thick mats should be washed by hand.
What’s the alternative?
I use a yoga mat I bought in a sports shop in Hat Yai in Thailand. It’s not fancy or mega expensive. But it’s thick. it weighs 2.6 kg (5.7 lbs) and is 7mm thick.
I like to use a thick mat because it doesn’t put so much pressure on my knees. Some of the yoga poses require bending and kneeling. With a thick yoga mat, I have no problems.
My thoughts
I have been doing yoga for years. A good quality mat is worth it. From my experience, a reversible workout mat is OK if you are using it for peloton strength classes or to place it under the bike.
However, if you’re planning to use it for yoga classes, it is better to get a professional yoga mat that is thicker, will last longer, and have a much better grip for the same price.
- A brand new yoga mat will often be covered with wax that can make your hands slippery.
- However, after a couple of weeks of practice and cleaning, the wax will wear out and you should be getting a better grip.
- For a better grip on the yoga mat, you can use liquid chalk.
- Liquid chalk reduces the sweatiness in your hands and improves the friction between the hands and the yoga mat surface.
Optional equipment
Peloton also offers many yoga accessories that are considered useful, but not essential.
Over time, I think it’s important to gather the yoga gear because it makes a huge difference in your progress.
Adding yoga gear to your class, especially if you’re doing it at home without any supervision, not only helps you get results faster but also makes the whole practice easier.
Peloton yoga blocks
I must admit that after doing yoga for a number of years, I only recently started to use yoga blocks. I always thought they are just fancy equipment that is not necessary for me.
Big mistake.
Most of the peloton yoga classes require the use of blocks. It is because yoga blocks allow you to do the poses more efficiently and provide essential support.
Pros
Some yoga poses require a decent level of strength and flexibility. Having a pair of yoga blocks allows you to modify the postures to fit your flexibility level.
There are several benefits to using yoga blocks.
- Adding yoga blocks to your peloton yoga workouts will make a huge difference because it helps you do the hard work easier.
- They are useful for more advanced poses by bringing the ground up to you and engaging stability muscles.
- They are made of lightweight foam and don’t slide.
They also help you to develop proper movement patterns and prevent injury.
If you’re not flexible enough to do a yoga pose, and you somehow work around it, you may be creating some movement compensation, without even knowing it.
Cons
- The only downside of foam yoga blocks is they don’t provide a lot of support if you’re planning to do inversion poses.
- For example, I weigh 185lbs, and I don’t feel confident using my blocks for the poses like L-sit or handstands.
Also, as you can see in the picture, after a few years of using the foamy yoga block, it can start to fall apart and get dirty. This wouldn’t happen with the cork or wooden block.
On the other hand. using the wood or cork yoga blocks will give you better support, but they are also sliding more than foamy ones. They also weigh much more and are hard to travel with.
You can do Peloton Yoga without blocks
Some peloton yoga classes can be done without blocks. These classes are usually easier and require less flexibility.
For example, in some classes where you learn just the single poses, you may get away do the class without the blocks.
However, for the flow or power classes that come with constant movement from one pose to another, it is much safer to use the blocks.
What’s the alternative?
There are several things you can use instead of yoga blocks.
Some of the most available objects include a yoga bolster, a small stool, a chair, and an upturned bucket. I also like rollers that I use during peloton foam rolling classes, but you can also try folded thick blanket or even a stack of books
My thoughts
I don’t think peloton yoga blocks offer the best deal.
I rather get a pair of cork yoga blocks because they offer more stability and support due to their higher density material. This means they will also last longer.
For a similar quality (but twice less expensive) you can look out for Gaiam yoga blocks.
However, if money is not an issue and you just want to get all of the equipment in one go without shopping for it, go ahead for the peloton because they are exactly the same high quality as the regular yoga blocks.
Peloton yoga strap
Peloton yoga strap will help you to stretch out your hamstrings, and open your hips and shoulders. From my experience, having a strap allows for much deeper access to those hidden corners that you wouldn’t normally get.
The majority of the peloton yoga classes don’t actually require a yoga strap. So this type of equipment isn’t as necessary as the yoga block.
However, it is helpful to have it handy, especially if you’re doing a lot of peloton morning yoga classes that challenge your flexibility.
Here is my yoga strap.
I use my yoga strap for every workout. It helps with balancing poses as well as opening the hips in all directions.
Peloton yoga bolster
I look at yoga bolster as a bigger yoga block. It is a great accessory for people who are not flexible in their hips or hamstrings.
- It helps you to get into the poses like seated lotus or pigeon pose. It is also the perfect support for relaxing yin poses during restorative yoga.
- A peloton yoga bolster is mainly used for restorative yoga classes. This type of class is more about relaxation than flexibility.
I always recommend restorative yoga for people who are already doing tons of physical activity, because this helps you to speed up the recovery and reduce muscle soreness.
Yoga eye pillow
A yoga eye pillow isn’t used in the peloton classes but it’s something worth considering to get. If you like restorative yoga where you lay down and relax, having a comfy eye pillow can really improve the whole experience.
How does it work?
- At the end of the class, you place the eye pillow on your eyes.
- The gentle weight provides soothing pressure on the eyes and face and helps to relax your eyes and facial muscles in the most comfortable way.
- It also helps to block off the light to help you relax more.
These days there are several different kinds of yoga eye pillows packed with aromatherapy oils on top of the light pressure you also have a relaxing scent.
Peloton yoga blanket
A yoga blanket is often used in the restorative class or after the hard power yoga. It helps you to get more comfortable at the end of the class and really melts away and relaxes.
- If you don’t have the exact peloton yoga blanket you can use any comfy blanket of your choice.
- I rarely use the blanket for yoga (my wife does all the time) because I don’t spend too much time in the savasana pose (I should do it more often though).
Conclusion
- I’ve been using yoga gear ever since I started to teach yoga.
- Generally speaking, using yoga accessories for the peloton class isn’t somehow essential.
- This means you can get by simply by just rolling out the mat and doing the class.
- However, adding extra pieces of gear will make the whole class much more effective, relaxing, and worthwhile.