Benefits of Gardening As Exercise
Yard work may not sound like the most enticing form of exercise, but you can actually get some great workout while digging holes, raking leaves and weeding. Plus, it can improve your bone density and boost your mental health too.
More than 60 UT Tyler students gathered to spend time doing yoga with goats. Oh My Goat Yoga, based in Palestine, made the trip to the college campus last week.
Owner Cherry Russell, who offers private parties on-site in Palestine, said she feels Goat Yoga can be very uplifting and aid in stress relief.
“I personally feel that goat yoga or just interacting with the goats is uplifting for anyone, any age, and instantly relieves stress and interrupts the everyday thoughts of stress and worry we have,” she said. “No one ever leaves goat yoga without a smile. I feel your mood will change after the experience.”
Russell confirmed her belief by sharing some of the comments from the students following the class.
“There were so many comments such as, ‘This is the best day ever’, ‘My day is complete, I just petted a goat’, ‘This was amazing, way better than I thought it would be’, and ‘I used to work and live on a farm and I am so glad to see the animals, I miss them’.”
Russell went on to say there definitely was a class favorite; a premature mini goat named Peanut that nearly died after birth.
“Peanut was the star of the show. She was a tiny preemie that I revived back to life when she was born. She was born on a very cold day and had to remain inside for days in front of a heater and syringe fed,” she said. “She made it and now she is a cuddle bug.”
UT Tyler Assistant Director in Recreation Sports Katie Younger, who oversees fitness and wellness programming and who coordinated the event, said she wanted to bring something new and fun to the campus.
“I knew Goat Yoga had never been done on campus before; that this would be something new and fun that we could offer to students,” she said. “Also it is something that they could call their mom and say, ‘You’ll never guess what I did today at UT Tyler’.”
Younger also agreed that including the goats with the yoga increased the benefits of the class.
“I think Goat Yoga is a great stress reliever for students; both the yoga, if not more, the interaction with the goats,” she said. “Cute animals seem to have a calming and stress reducing affect on people.”
For more information, visit the Oh My Goat Yoga Facebook page.
Source: tylerpaper.com
