Yanar Alkayat

Yanar Alkayat is a health and fitness editor, registered yoga therapist and level 3 personal trainer. She founded Yanar Mind & Movement alongside her journalism to offer specialist yoga therapy for people living with long-term health conditions, movement disorders and marginalised communities.

Her chair yoga classes are funded by Parkinson's UK and she regularly runs yoga and fitness sessions for refugee and asylum seeker groups in London. Formerly a content editor and fitness product testing manager at Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Runner's World, she continues to write for national print and digital media.

Yanar's passion for fitness and wellness started young, when she borrowed her first health book from the library aged 11. After years of running marathons, she discovered CrossFit and Olympic lifting in her mid-30s and spent the next decade training and competing. Alongside this, she's always used yoga, breathwork and meditation to support her recovery and nervous system through high intensity training.

Her mum's Parkinson's Disease diagnosis motivated her to complete a diploma in yoga therapy and launch Yanar Mind & Movement, making movement and restorative practices more accessible. She champions mindful movement and nervous system regulation as well as strength work for better physical and mental health.

When not training, teaching or writing, she'll be found cooking up a storm in the kitchen.