A gym floor mat made of rubber is an inexpensive way to introduce yourself to yoga. There's a common mistake with people who want to start working out at home that they need to go on a buying spree for gym equipment. Not so. That's exactly how many of those tele-infomercial machines for home gyms end up as expensive clothes drying racks standing off in the corner.

The best rubber floor mat you'll need for yoga is no larger than the top of your desk. There are two types of gym mats that should be mentioned: the thick and black kind that you use under home gyms, cardio equipment and weight racks; and the personal rubber gym mat that you see with yoga.

The yoga floor mat is designed to be lightly textured, and slightly tacky. Some mats are made of vinyl sponge foam but the best are made of natural rubber.

Yoga is one of the best gym exercises you can do on floors, available to every age and fitness level. It's flowing movements will stretch and lengthen muscle fibers causing the muscles in the back, legs, chest and arms, to become stronger and streamlined. In comparison, lifting heavy weight training can cause muscles to tighten, making them stressed and congested with lactic acid, and increases the load on your joints. Yoga, done on rubber or non-slip surface floor mats, will keep the body moving so the muscles stay warm and lubricated.

Any floor exercise that can be done on mats is all the fitness regime you'll need. Yoga is just one example, but then many floor exercises actually resemble yoga, and daily practice will better flexibility and strength over time. Even if you are practicing only the physical aspects of yoga, you will reap healthy benefits and leave each session feeling invigorated, having washed away stress and tension. So try out a yoga mat ($20 - $60), rent or buy a tape, and see how inexpensive, and fun, it is to start your own home fitness gym.