Can You Bring a Yoga Mat on a Plane?

If you practice yoga, then your yoga mat is probably one of your best friends. It is important to have it with you so that you can stay limber and fit. Traveling often presents a problem in this regard, but it doesn’t have to. You might even be wondering if you can take it on a plane. Can you bring a yoga mat on a plane? Yes, you can bring a yoga mat on a plane. The three easiest ways are: attaching it to your backpack, fitting it in a bag, or investing in a travel size yoga mat. While there are definitely many restrictions on carrying personal items on a plane, there should be no reason you cannot take your yoga mat with you. There are many ways to make this happen comfortably and effectively, some of which are described below. This is How You Should Carry Your Mat When Traveling Now that you know you can take your yoga mat with you on the plane, you might be wondering how best to accomplish this. You want to make sure it is convenient to do so and that your mat does not get damaged in the process. Following these few tips will help you in that regard. Travel with a backpack – You might be wondering why you are advised to wear a backpack when traveling by plane with a yoga mat. It is because the straps on the backpack create the perfect backdrop for safely carrying your mat through crowds of people. You can roll up your yoga mat and then fasten it to the outside of the pack without taking up any of the space inside your bag. Consider a bag for your yoga mat – The one thing about carrying your yoga mat on the outside of your backpack is that it can get quite dirty. It can also get banged up if you are on a crowded plane with not a lot of space to store your belongings. Having a bag to put your yoga mat in will go a long way towards protecting it and adding to its lifespan. Use a thin yoga mat if you must use a carry-on suitcase – You may not be able to take a backpack with you on your trip. In that case, you can get a thin yoga mat that you can fold up into a square. Place that in your carry-on, and you will be good to go. 5 Reasons to Take a Yoga Mat On the Plane With You You might be wondering why you would want to take a yoga mat on the plane with you in the first place. That is a good question, but you probably would not be asking it unless you were a yoga aficionado in the first place. Having a mat with you is essential as you travel in order to stay active and keep up with the practice of yoga. Stay Fit as You Travel One of the most challenging things about traveling is keeping your figure. All of the many hours of sitting and being sedentary can take a toll on your body. You have worked hard to stay fit, with yoga being your primary means of doing so. You do not want to give that up. It is possible to stay fit when you travel, but you cannot always run or hit the gym. However, yoga is something that you can do virtually anywhere that you happen to be in the world. If you want to stay fit when you travel, bringing your yoga mat with you on the plane is a perfect way to ensure that happens. Maintain Your Normal Routine You have probably heard it said that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Yoga is something you want to do. It has become part of your routine. However, it is also easy to slip out of practice and neglect the crucial benefits that yoga has bought into your life. To keep your regular routine, you will want to have a yoga mat with you. This will allow you to keep your typical schedule. If you usually do yoga just before bed, you will be able to do so right from the comfort of your own hotel room. Make Sure Your Mat is Not Damaged If you are like most people who regularly practice yoga, you prefer to have access to your own mat. Especially in today’s age, you can never be too health and safety conscious. As such, you want to travel with your own mat and ensure that you have access to it. Traveling by plane presents a precarious situation. If you check your mat in, it can quickly get damaged. It is also difficult to fit into most suitcases without folding the mat into positions it was not meant to be in. Bringing it with you on the plane is the best way to ensure that it is not damaged. Keep Your Body Limber on Long Layovers When you travel by plane often enough, you will inevitably get stuck with the dreaded long layover. It is often difficult to find something to do in the airport while you are waiting. As such, many people all too often end up sitting for long periods of time. Instead of doing that, you can find a quiet section of the airport and do yoga. Having your yoga mat with you is going to easily make that possible. Just unroll it, lay it down on a flat surface, and you have your own instant yoga studio wherever you happen to be. Don’t Rely on the Availability of Yoga Studios Another reason to travel with your yoga mat is that you never know when you will have access to a yoga studio. While such studios may provide you with ready access to clean and sanitized mats you can use when traveling, you do not want to depend on this. You might be in a location that does not have easy access to yoga studios. Classes might be at inconvenient times, or the studio is simply too far from where you are staying. In such cases, you will be thankful that you have bought your yoga mat along with you for the ride. 3 Things to Look for In a Travel Yoga Mat If you are getting ready to plan your next trip, you should put buying a new travel yoga mat on your list of things to do. Here are three items that you will want to consider as you make your purchase. Comfort or weight? – When traveling, light is usually better. However, this also means that your yoga mat will not have as much padding. You will want to search for the mat with the perfect mix of comfort over weight that you can be satisfied with in the end. Your Mat Needs to Be Cleaned – If you are on a long trip, you will want to clean your yoga mat. This means that the material it is made from becomes critical. You want to choose one that dries quickly so you can clean it and move on with your trip. What Type of Material? – You might be interested to know that foam yoga mats are lighter, which might make them more appealing to travel with. However, the grip is not as good as a rubber mat. For their part, rubber mats tend to weigh more. It all comes down to personal preference. Wrap-Up So, the answer is that it is possible to fly with your yoga mat in tow. It just takes a bit of planning. You want to make sure you have your mat with you when you need it most, but you also do not want to be inconvenienced in the process.