Lance Bass and his dog do ‘doga’

You’ve most likely heard of yoga, but what about doga? It’s exactly what it sounds like—yoga you do with your dog! The fitness craze is becoming quite popular—and for good reason. Who wouldn’t love to bring their fur-friends to yoga class?!

Adding to the list of enthusiasts is *NSYNC alum and animal lover Lance Bass. He recently partnered with pet food brand Natural Balance for his first doga class and he and his pooch enjoyed every minute.

The benefits of doga are the same for both humans and dogs. Doga (and yoga, for that matter) calms the central nervous system, which helps with sleep and digestion and decreases your stress levels. “I think it was the most relaxing thing I have ever done in my life,” he told Simplemost.

So how does it work? How on earth does being on the floor and doing yoga anywhere near your dog not just end up with you in a pile of slobber and kisses? (Speaking from experience here.) Bass said his dogs, adorably named Chip and Dale, are hyper and “don’t have much of an attention span,” but Chip had no problem being a yogi.

“Dale couldn’t participate because he wanted to bark at other dogs,” said Bass. “He hasn’t been exposed to many as he is still a baby. Chip, however, was a natural. I’ve never seen him so focused and relaxed.”

While Bass had done yoga before, he said he is “unlimber” and needs all the stretching he can get. “I sweat more doing yoga than running a marathon,” he said. He finds that yoga gives him not only more flexibility, but also more energy.

Bass also enjoys hiking with his dogs, as well as going to parks and giving them puzzle mazes when it’s time to eat. He points out that his pups are rescues, a cause that is close to his heart.

“I love that now it is politically incorrect to buy a dog from a shop,” he said. “But there are still a lot of people out there that have not been educated yet on adopting as there are so many dogs that already need homes. Also, foster dogs are notoriously the sweetest, most loving and cutest dogs ever. It’s a fact!”

According to the ASPCA, approximately 6.5 million animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. There are plenty of animals waiting to be adopted, so you should have no trouble finding a doga partner at your local shelter.

Already have a fur-ever friend ready to throw down on some down dog? There are some actual doga studios, but you can also do it at home.

Namaste (or should we say namaSTAY), friends!