I’ve ditched nights out for yoga on a cold beach

Mikaela Pollock is a counselling psychologist, based in Edinburgh.

For the last four years, her work has focused on the intersection of physical activity and mental health.

Before she studied psychology, Mikaela was a person trainer and yoga instructor.

She believes yoga is a great form of exercise for both the mind and body.

“That’s why I wanted to marry the two because I found that physical activity, yoga in particular, helped me slow down and pay more attention to being present and to my thought and my mood,” Mikaela said.

Recently, she came across a study which discussed the comparison between outdoor and indoor exercise.

Although it is hard to tell which is more beneficial to your mental health, the findings nodded towards outdoor exercise.

Mikaela added: “I think any sort of movement, any sort of mindfulness is going to be beneficial and if you combine that with something intentional like yoga, something where you get the benefit of green spaces and outdoors and fresh air, it’s all the better really.”