News

Finding a new normal

Finding a new normal

With more time on our hands during lockdown it's easy to have heightened expectations of how we should spend our days. Just because we’ve gained an extra few hours thanks to skipping the commute, it’s ok not to want to fill this time running extreme distances or doing excessively long workouts to compensate. We all know that overtraining can be detrimental to our physical and mental health, so it's always important to be conscious of this. However, getting outside and being active are both extremely important for maintaining a positive mindset, so I've been making a conscious effort to factor...

Read more
How to be present

How to be present

For a self-confessed fidget, rest days can prove to be somewhat of a struggle. In my dream world I'm blissfully stretching it out on a yoga mat and 'letting it all go', but the reality is that I spend most of the time during class trying to quieten my overactive mind (shoutouts to my anxiety and OCD thought loops). As a result, I've found other ways to rest my body and mind.One of my favourite things to do is go for a walk along the beach or around my local park. Leaving the headphones at home and having a restful...

Read more
TOP FIVE TIPS: Everest Base Camp with Elly Stanton

TOP FIVE TIPS: Everest Base Camp with Elly Stanton

Friend of VALA @ellygrams completed the epic challenge of hiking to Everest Base Camp in 2017 and since then I have been obsessed with finding out more about her trip. She has very kindly written us a guest post to share any tips and useful insights for anyone else that has their sights set on reaching EBC in the future. Peep Elly’s advice below, which is continued in the comments - because there was far too much goodness to edit out.REPETITIVE MEALSTea Houses are the bread and butter of the EBC trek and unless you decide to camp, they’ll be where you...

Read more
Why we need rest days

Why we need rest days

Although it can be tempting to spend everyday going hard on the exercise during lockdown, it's important to remember the benefits of taking regular rest days. Although I exercised several times per week pre-isolation, it's since become an everyday activity that on reflection has become a coping mechanism for feeling a sense of productivity with my day. I’m a total fidget, love being busy and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a tough session. Several weeks into my home workouts, the body aches started to creep it and I realised it was time for the dreaded REST DAY.⁣⁣Rest days are essential...

Read more
Reasons to never quit

Reasons to never quit

These five short words have the ability to completely alter our mindset. I remember hearing (borderline superhuman) @charlie 🚀mention this little nugget during an interview with @edmylett and it has stuck with me ever since.⠀⠀Sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed before a long training session, when we’re feeling tired and looking for any excuse to flake out. Some days are harder than others - we‘re all human and have off days, after all - but it only takes a few seconds to check in and remind yourself “Hey, this session today is going to be easy and you’ll thank yourself later”.⠀⠀As much as I...

Read more
The power of taking risks and dreaming big

The power of taking risks and dreaming big

During my recent trip to Cali, I became borderline obsessed with @sunlifeorganics açai bowls and shakes (swipe across to see the bowl of my dreams). Curious about the history of the brand, I picked up ‘Don’t Forget to Die’, a memoir written by founder @khalilrafati.This gripping read documents Khalil’s life, from working for rockstars in Hollywood to hitting rock bottom and becoming a drug addict on Skid Row, then turning his life around aged 33 to create a wildly successful juice bar in Malibu. He’s an advocate for healing and fuelling the body through exercise and eating whole foods, which strongly aligns with...

Read more