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05 Jun 2018 59

Leading medical professional prescribes increased activity

Dr Rosemary Leonard backs Coaching Week and encourages increased physical activity across the UK

Dr Rosemary Leonard MBE, one of Britain’s leading medical professionals and UK Coaching Board Member, has prescribed increased physical activity across the nation in a bid to help improve health and well-being.

As part of the first ever Coaching Week, GP and esteemed journalist Dr Leonard, believes that Great Coaching is of vital importance to encouraging participation and an active nation.

Leonard, who received an MBE for services to healthcare in 2004, recognises that great coaches understand and coach the person in front of them, adapts sessions to needs and requirements and ultimately helps to sustain a fitter and happier nation.

Yesterday, UK Coaching, the lead agency for coaching in the UK with a mission to put coaching at the heart of physical activity and sport, launches the inaugural Coaching Week and unveiled its principles of ‘Great Coaching’ which support everyone in the UK to recognise and celebrate when great coaching is taking place.

Dulwich-based Dr Rosemary Leonard said: 

“I regularly prescribe physical activity as I believe it is supports a healthy, balanced lifestyle. But there is a huge responsibility to so many people out there to encourage healthy lifestyles including medical professionals, parents, teachers and coaches.

“I know that if someone is receiving great coaching, they are likely to want to go back and continue partaking in the healthy activity. As a result, coaching has so many broader holistic benefits and as a medical professional I can only encourage more people to get involved in physical activity.”

The Principles of Great Coaching are centred on the acronym PEOPLE and have been designed to help people who are coached, coaches and the wider general public understand what great coaching is.

UK Coaching’s Principles of Great Coaching are:

  • Person-centred
  • Empowering
  • Organised
  • Positive
  • Learning
  • Engaging

The Principles will be launched during Coaching Week, which is running from the 4-10 June and is a UK-wide week-long celebration of great coaching.

To mark Coaching Week, UK Coaching is inviting people across the UK to share when and where they have experienced great coaching, and to recognise their own coach for practising UK Coaching’s Principles of Great Coaching by presenting them with a #GreatCoaching certificate, available from the UK Coaching website.   

The week also aims to highlight the broader benefits of coaching and the fact that great coaching can inspire others, and make a difference to people’s mental and physical well-being, as well as contributing to their individual, economic and social development.

Emma Atkins, Director of Coaching at UK Coaching said:

“We are delighted with the responses to Coaching Week so far and it’s wonderful to see all the celebrations of great coaching over the UK. 

“Dr Leonard is one of the most respected medical professionals in the country and it’s great to see her supporting the work that coaches are doing and encouraging more and more people to engage with physical coaching and experience the many benefits that coaching has to offer.”

Join UK Coaching in celebrating great coaching and supporting Coaching Week from 4-10 June 2018 and share your #GreatCoaching experiences on social media.