Leicester City Council is working in partnership with Leicester NHS PCT to develop health walks across the city. Natural England defines a health walk as ‘a purposeful, brisk walk undertaken on a regular basis’. Taking part in regular walking can be very beneficial to people’s health, it is free and city residents are now being encouraged ...

Lifestyle Fitness offers local people the chance to enjoy activities at seven Leicester City Council Leisure Centres for free, as part of their 60 Plus campaign, as well as giving people with existing health problems the chance to change their lifestyle through the GP Referral scheme. In this case study with local Leicester resident, James Hunt, who is over 60 and has been part ...

Nine of Leicester’s young athletes recently returned from the International Children’s Games with an impressive seven medal haul. It was the 45th annual International Children’s Games, which welcome young people aged 12 to 15 years-old, from all over the world, to compete in an Olympic-style competition. The Games, which are recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and are the biggest of their kind in ...

Dean Hodgkin investigates what flexibility is, why sports people need it and how they can achieve it. In its simplest terms, flexibility refers to the total range of motion of a joint or group of joints. Flexibility, which differs from person to person and from joint to joint, encompasses all components of the musculoskeletal system, including the connective tissues that largely affect the extent ...

A number of years ago, as Director of Rugby for Leeds and the Malaysian National Rugby Team, I inherited teams that were small in stature but possessed players with great speed, agility and explosive acceleration. The problem was that when we were drawn into a physical brute force game against bigger opposition, we would invariably be beaten. But, when we played a ...

The 2011/12 Leicester-Shire & Rutland GO GOLD Talented Fund is now open for applications from local talented athletes. The aim of GO GOLD is to support talented young athletes in full-time education who are currently performing at regional or above in their sport, including those athletes who are being recognised by their National Governing Bodies as being our future Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth athletes ...

Visionaries, dictators, collaborators, micro-managers... how do leaders with such wide-ranging styles, philosophies and approaches all find ways to succeed? In this issue, I will focus on identity. My notion of identity requires an existential approach, one wherein we extract the organisation’s defining and most meaningful qualities and beliefs, including, but not limited to, values, goals, aspirations and legacy. There are more strategic elements in defining one’s identity. ...

Sir Peter Soulsby’s decision to bring back free swims to Leicester made quite a splash this summer. The City Mayor pledged that local children and young people would have the opportunity to swim for free at the City Council’s Leisure Centres throughout the summer holidays as part of his 100 Days Programme, which laid out 100 pledges that he and his cabinet aimed ...

Whether you’re thinking about stopping smoking yourself, or you have a friend who needs some pointers, this 5-point list could help make a difference in tackling a habit that is just waiting to be kicked. 1. Exercise is a distraction. When you’re stopping smoking, the times when you don’t have anything to do are risky. Doing something physical fills the time positively and ...

Melton-based SAQ® International has announced an exciting new collaboration with Virgin Active Health Clubs. Beginning this month, seven health clubs around the country will be running a new and engaging SAQ® designed Fundamental Movement and Fitness Programme, specifically aimed at members aged between 10 and 15-years-old. The project is the brainchild of Club-V Development Manager, Jane Whittingham, and SAQ® Training Director, David Hawkins. A selection of Virgin Active ...