Pilates mats. Muscle tone is more easily achieved on Pilates equipment than a Pilates mat or Yoga mat. I have never liked mat work. It's fun when you're teaching somebody else, because you have friends around....
I have never liked mat work. It's fun when you're teaching somebody else, because you have friends around. The mat work is just the foundation. Equipment takes it to the next level. With mat work, you have almost no resistance, but with equipment you can definitely push against something. You can tone your muscles on a mat, because you are going to hold your own body weight up. That can be hard to do. Imagine standing or laying there while extending your leg out. It's hard, but it's something that you can control a little bit better if you are on spring tension. You can push, you can pull, and you can test your range of motion in circles. Equipment is more versatile.
I have seen people walk in with the yoga mats, which are very flat to the ground, and I have also seen people coming with those sticky yoga grip mats. Depending on the surface where you're doing your exercise, I'd recommend either the Pilates/Yoga mat because it's thicker, or the Pilates mat because it's thicker still. I sometimes have to double up my yoga mat in the Rec center because of the concrete floor. We are rolling like a ball and rocking on your spine. It hurts. Some people will use a towel because they might not want to invest in a mat. If you're just doing six weeks at a Rec center, don't invest in a $30 mat, but I'd definitely recommend that you buy a nice thick padded $3 mat, because it will hurt you if you don't.
