Certainly, any old exercise mat will probably feel more comfortable than a hard floor. But if you’re looking for the best in back support and overall comfy feel, than you should give some thought to an interlocking foam mat for your exercise purposes. When you layer your exercise area with one of these mats, you’re creating a floor area that is softer, more giving, and less taxing on the body. In all, you’ll get a workout mat that is anti-fatigue and highly conducive to workouts that yield great results.

An interlocking foam mat will typically be arranged as tiles, unlike a standard mat that is one flat, cohesive surface. The tiles measure, on average, 2 feet by 2 feet, and range in density from half an inch to 1.1 inches. Whatever their thickness, these tiles are light, as well as easy to replace in the event that they wear out or incur damage. An outer rim of border strips encloses most mats to create a clean border for the mat area.

Wondermat, Softnsafe, and Greatmats are a few prominent manufacturers of interlocking foam mats. Wondermat has all-around reliable mats individually designated for school, business, sports, or home use. Softnsafe’s mats include many great budget buys, as the company purchases its mats wholesale from the retailers. The Greatmats inventory takes the cake for variety: It divides up into specialized matting for martial arts, exercise, dance studios, cheerleading practice, and aerobics flooring, among other categories.

You can expect to pay a fairly modest sum for your interlocking foam mat. As of 2010, the average cost is $5 to $8 for every 2 feet by 2 feet of interlocking foam squares. It’s up to you whether you want to get a compact, personalized mat just big enough for you to lie on when you’re doing your floor routines, or if you want to cover your floor with wall-to-wall flooring.

If it’s your personal home gym, then a small mat might be all you need. But a highly trafficked public facility—martial-arts studio, yoga center, physical-therapy establishment, school gym, indoor sports or recreational room, etc.—may want to opt for the full treatment. But wherever you plan to put it, make very sure that you read up on the manufacturer to make sure that their mats are free of lead, latex, and other toxic materials. Most are, but you won’t know for sure unless you read the fine print.