kaili cochran
Words by Kaili Cochran
When it comes to wellness, it’s easy to think we’ve heard it all — yoga, meditation, green smoothies. But, as self-care is increasingly all over our For You page, some unique and creative ways to approach wellness have emerged.
Looking at goat yoga, for example. People are paying over $30 to do yoga in a barn full of goats. Goat yoga, which gained popularity almost a decade ago, is still as common today. During a 45-minute yoga session, you are surrounded by playful baby and adult goats who will climb on top of your back and stomach as you move through poses like a downward dog or bridge. There are even videos where goats will jump back and forth between participants’ arched backs.
In Jacksonville, The Little Peeps Farmers offer goat yoga classes on weekends in the morning or afternoon, and they’re even kid-friendly for families to join in. Goat yoga has been proven to reduce stress and increase happiness while connecting people and animals. The goats’ involvement helps lower first-timers’ potential anxiety by joining a yoga class and making it more relaxing and fun.
Another form of wellness is stretch therapy. Stretch Zone offers an experience where clients are strapped to a table and assisted by therapists to stretch and loosen muscles. Located on San Jose Boulevard, Stretch Zone, helps relieve stiffness and soreness and increase mobility.
There are many benefits to assisted stretching, especially for older adults. According to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, active-assisted stretching programs can improve flexibility and enhance daily living activities and overall quality of life. While the Stretch Zone is particularly beneficial for older adults, people of all ages can enjoy relief from discomfort.
The owner of two Stretch Zone locations in Jacksonville, Ramiah Martin, struggled with chronic back discomfort from his daily activities and discovered Stretch Zone through a friend. He chose to acquire Stretch Zone Mandarin and Stretch Zone Ponte Vedra. This year, he opened a Stretch Zone in St. Johns.
“My hope is that our studio can significantly improve the quality of life for our members and encourage them to push their flexibility to new heights,” Martin said.
If you’re curious to try it out, Stretch Zone offers a free 30-minute session upon your first visit.
Two other contrasting wellness treatments are infrared sauna and cryotherapy. Both available at Degree Wellness and Be Still Float Studio in Riverside, offer a choice between these services where you can either sweat it out or freeze your way to recovery.
Infrared saunas use light to generate heat, allowing the body to warm up without heating the surrounding area. According to Brent A. Baurer, director of the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic, infrared saunas provide the same benefits as traditional saunas such as sweating and increased heart rate but at lower temperatures providing a more comfortable choice for those who can’t tolerate the high heat produced in regular saunas.
On the other end is cryotherapy. This treatment involves putting the aching parts of your body under cold temperatures for 2 to 3 minutes which helps reduce inflammation, accelerate recovery, and boost metabolism. Cryotherapy has proven to be especially effective for athletes looking to recover quickly from intense training.
These wellness trends allow for a different approach to self-care and well-being. Whether you’re looking to relax with goats, stretch it out or sweat and freeze your way to relieve discomfort in your body, these treatments could be your next go-to wellness experience.
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