Improving wellbeing

Wellness checks are a 15-20 minute consultation with a member of our friendly fitness team, measuring weight and body fat %, using our inBbody scanner. Blood pressure and resting heart rate are also taken to enable our team to provide personalised feedback on the measurements to inform advice on types of training and exercise to best improve health and wellness. It's a brilliant starting point for those at the beginning, restarting or well into their health and wellness journey. To book a session, please email Richard Ormiston-Rees, Sport Manager, Fitness and Wellness.  

The Health Assured Portal (part of our Employee Assistance offer) provides resources to improve both physical health (for example, quitting smoking, improving sleep, healthy eating) and mental health (for example, caring responsibilities, anxiety, family and relationships).

In addition, you can download the Wisdom App to your smartphone to access a wide range of wellness resources including mini-health checks and health plans, designed to improve both mental and physical health.

There is also a Live Chat feature in the app that allows you to contact a dedicated wellbeing counsellor using live messaging and video calls. Making it as easy as possible for you to get the right advice when you need it the most.  For further support, you can call the confidential helpline – available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Brookes Sport has facilities across the Oxford Brookes campuses. 

At Headington we have a gym, large climbing wall, Astro pitch, over 20 weekly fitness classes, 1 squash court and a sports hall. We also have a cafe and sports bar, as well as plenty of social space to bring a laptop and get some work done! 

At Harcourt Hill we also have a gym, squash court and a busy fitness class timetable. Additionally, there is a swimming pool and lots of outdoor sports pitches. 

To access these facilities we have discounted staff membership prices.

At Wheatley, we also have a gym that is free for Oxford Brookes staff and students to use, following the completion of a short Google Form and reading the Health Commitment Statement for unmanned gyms.

Brookes Staff Active helps facilitate opportunities to be more active more often.  Including staff yoga, indoor football and running clubs.

There are also a range of colleague led groups and forums which include activity based groups as well as an opportunity to meet and connect with like minded colleagues.  Or maybe look to set up your own.

We want to help the entire Oxford Brookes community bypass public transport, leave cars at home, and get a little bit fitter in the process.  Visit the Active Travel webpages for more information about routes to, from and around the campuses.

We also have our Active Lockers and Showers located in Clerici building at Headington to help with the transition from Active travel to your working day.

Stay active while working...

Time spent working is time often spent not moving and the more time spent sedentary the less energy we have overall and the greater our risk of cardiovascular disease and other common illnesses.

Being able to get your head down and work is important but breaking it up with activity has been shown to improve concentration, reduce stress and increase productivity. Here are some top tips:

• Stand up at least every 90 minutes, but ideally every 30 minutes. It will help you refocus and encourages circulation and our metabolism
• Take every opportunity to stand up, for example when checking emails or answering the phone
• Get away from your desk and go for a walk at lunchtime, even if it's just to eat your lunch somewhere different
• Make active choices such as taking the stairs, cycling to work or getting off the bus a stop earlier and walking

There are various events and activities happening across the year which provide an excellent opportunity to connect and meet people.  More details can be found on the events and activities webpages

There are also a range of colleague led groups and forums which provide an opportunity to meet and connect with like minded colleagues. Or maybe look to set up your own.

Oxford Brookes University has a number of Staff Networks and forums to connect and support staff, based on shared identity or experience. These networks can assist in personal and professional development, organise events and activities, act as a sounding board for policy development and review, and provide a consultative forum for the university to gather views and feedback.

Whether you’re keen to support a particular cause, feel closer to your community, find new friends or reduce stress, Volunteering is a great place to start.

The sustainability team also run a number of initiatives and opportunities for volunteering which can be found on their web pages