When it comes to our health, people are willing to try just about anything to get ahead. This certainly isn’t limited to 2018, though; we’ve been trying things like hydrotherapy, forest bathing and fresh air for centuries in one form or another. While some of these trends do have legitimate health benefits, others (ahem, vaginal steaming) have no basis in medical fact and could actually end up doing some harm.
Then there are the health fads that aren’t necessarily beneficial or harmful but are something new and interesting to try. Will goat yoga save your life? Probably not, but it might be a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Here are some of the strangest, most talked-about health and wellness trends of 2018 — from vinotherapy to cow cuddling to salt caves — and where to experience each of them. And, as always, consult your doctor before starting anything new that could impact your health.
Cow Cuddling
If you've been stressed and wondering how you can incorporate more livestock into your wellness regime, then cow cuddling might be for you. It's not strictly limited to cuddling either. According to the Mountain Horse Farm website, it can involve petting or brushing them, spending time together, going through an obstacle course or simply observing them.
"Cows have a body temperature that is slightly higher than humans and their heart rate is lower than ours," the farm's website explains. "Cuddling up with a cow, feeling that lower heart rate and higher body temperature, is very relaxing."
The sessions — which are facilitated by an equine specialist and a licensed counselor on this upstate New York farm — begin with a few breathing exercises before meeting the animals. And while cell phones aren't permitted during the sessions, don't worry — there will be the crucial Instagram photo op once it's over.
60-minute cow cuddling session for up to two people, $75 at Mountain Horse Farm
Hay Bathing
You may have heard of forest bathing, but what about hay bathing? Yes, this is a thing that exists. Although its exact origins are unknown, Hotel Heubad in Italy claims to have the "original hay bath" dating back to 1903. According to tradition, farmers who spent the night in a barn sleeping in hay awoke feeling better.
So what does a hay bath entail? According to Hotel Heubad's website, you spend 15 to 20 minutes wrapped up in warm, damp hay. (This is something people pay actual money to do.) After the actual bath, you rest in a lounger for another 30 minutes, and a massage is recommended to "round off" the experience. Chances are, you'll feel relaxed after resting for a half-hour followed by a massage regardless of whether you first spend some time in some wet hay, but if it's been around since 1903, people are clearly into it.
50-minute hay bath, $39 at Hotel Heubad
Salt Caves
Spending some time in a salt cave is another one of those therapies that is probably harmless and relaxing, even if you don't see any actual health benefits. A recent New York Times article looked into the fad and reported that there is no scientific proof that any of the many salt cave claims (ranging from curing everything from arthritis to asthma) are true.
And don't be fooled by the name: Most salt caves are actually dedicated rooms in spas that do not involve any spelunking. Typically, the floors and walls of the room are covered in salt blocks and crystals, and there's soft lighting, probably some sort of sound therapy and zero-gravity lounge chairs. Some places also offer yoga classes inside the salt caves.
50-minute salt cave session, $35 at 5 Star Salt Caves
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy essentially involves sitting in a booth filled with cold air for three to five minutes. Like many of the other treatments on this list, there is limited scientific evidence that it accomplishes any of its claims (including weight loss, treating cancer or reducing pain). Still, it's growing in popularity, with some enthusiasts pointing to the fact that humans have used cold to help with pain relief far longer than we've been stepping into these futuristic chambers.
Whole-body cryotherapy session, $45 at Vitality NYC
Vinotherapy
Despite the fact that vinotherapy sounds like sitting around with your friends drinking wine therapeutically, it's actually something else completely: using wine byproducts in traditional spa treatments. This could mean facials using scrubs made out of grape seeds or getting a massage incorporating grape skins.
For example, one of the services available at the August Moon Spa at the La Tourelle Hotel in Ithaca, New York, uses locally sourced Riesling wine flour and grape seed oil to exfoliate the skin.
50-minute Finger Lakes Riesling and sea salt full-body scrub, $115 at August Moon Spa at the La Tourelle Hotel
Goat Yoga
This is a case of an activity being exactly what it sounds like: practicing yoga in the presence of goats. Aside from the cuteness overload and Insta-worthy photos, the point of goat yoga appears to be having a goat climb on your back when you're in tabletop or plank position to add more weight and give you more of a workout. Or at least that's what you can tell your friends.
Goat yoga class, starting at $19 at NY Goat Yoga
Floating
You've probably heard of sensory deprivation tanks before: pitch-black chambers filled with water and Epsom salt where you float in silence. Up until now, if you've wanted to try this out, you've had to visit a spa or treatment center with the technology. While those are still an option, there are also at-home floating devices you can use to achieve the same benefits without having to leave your house.
Float tent, $1,940 at Zen Float Co.
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