News

It's well known that our bodies lose salt during exercise, but this is so much more than a way to cool us down. Salt regulates water content both inside and outside of cells, creating an electrolyte balance and increasing hydration. It also helps to regulate nerve function and muscle contraction, as low sodium levels can lead to dehydration and muscle cramps (which I'm sure we've all experienced at some point!).When I first started formulating VALA, I planned to use Himalayan pink sea salt in our gels. However, during the development process a friend told me about the process of mining...

Hello to our new VALA customers that that we've been so grateful to have! I'm Gem, VALA's founder and thought I’d share a few ‘fun facts’ about myself. If you don’t yet know our brand story, head over to the 'ABOUT' section on our site to find out more about why I started VALA. Here goes...▪️I left my career as an Art Director for global fashion/beauty brands and advertising agencies behind to start an energy gel company and retrain as a Personal Trainer 💪🏻▪️I’ve been vegetarian since I was six years old, vegan for the past seven years and wholeheartedly believe in...

If you're pushed for time or fancy a full-body cardio blast, try dusting off the skipping rope and giving skipping a go. Not only is it great for your coordination, balance and agility, it can also be done pretty much anywhere.It's said that 10 minutes of skipping is equivalent to running a mile in eight minutes, so it's perfect for days when you can't squeeze in a long training session or fancy mixing things up. As it uses the legs for jumping, the shoulders and arms for turning the rope and the abdominals for stabilising, skipping is a great full-body...

Please join us in welcoming triathlete Simon Malley to the VALA ambassador crew! Simon was a qualified professional chef for over 20 years and worked his way up to being head chef before starting his own successful tapas restaurant in Swansea, South Wales. In pursuit of a happy work/life balance, he decided to change career direction but still remains an avid foodie. Since discovering his love of triathlon, Simon has furthered his passion for it by training as Personal Trainer and is currently studying for his British Triathlon coaching qualification. Keep reading to find out more about Simon's inspiring achievements, upcoming races and his top tips for anyone thinking of getting into triathlons.   Hi Simon, can you...

If you don't already have a daily gratitude practice, now is a great time to start. Gratitude is said to lead to an enhanced sense of mental well-being and can have a positive effect on our day to day life. At VALA, we're all about caring for our mental health as well as our physical health, so we love any opportunity to combine the two.Consider taking a bit of time during today's run, walk or ride to identify three things that you are grateful for. Take a deep breath, use our gratitude prompts below to get you started and think...

This week we're catching up with VALA ambassador and triathlete Charlie Harding, who is definitely one to watch in the triathlon world. In our interview, he shares his achievements, his inspirations and his top tips for anyone thinking of getting into triathlons.   Hey Charlie, can you tell us a bit about your achievements so far? I’m currently in the North West Triathlon Academy and I compete in the British Super Series. I recently won the Epic Lakes Windermere 1 mile swim and the Windermere Sprint Triathlon. I’ve achieved a Top 3 in the British Triathlon Mini race day event and I compete nationally...