Improving your health and wellbeing

My wellbeing - where to start?

As a member of staff at Oxford Brookes, you have access to a wide range of resources to support your wellbeing. However, knowing where to begin can sometimes feel rather daunting, so you may find it useful to use the My wellbeing - where to start? template (Brookes login required) to help you identify your priorities.

Alternatively you can explore the sections below which are structured around the 'Five ways to wellbeing'. These sit alongside other webpages covering topics such as stress management, mental health, strengthening your personal resources, and help and support. You can navigate these according to your needs.

Keeping healthy and wellness checks

This section provides information on the resources available to support your general health and wellbeing.

Wellness checks

Wellness checks are a 15-20 minute consultation with a member of our friendly fitness team, measuring weight and body fat %, using our inBody scanner 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: brookesactive@brookes.ac.uk

Nailson Jose do Patrocinio Fitness & Performance Adviser at Sport will also be based at Headington every Wednesday to deliver Inbody and movement/mobility assessments which can be arranged directly with Nye.

Online resources

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.

Be active

As well as the physical benefits, regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups as well as being essential for slowing age-related cognitive decline.

Any increase in physical activity is better than none, however, the greatest benefits are seen by doing 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity every week. There are a range of ways you can keep active at Oxford Brookes.

Oxford Brookes facilities

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 are lots of outdoor sports pitches. Further information on sport facilities at Harcourt Hill after 1 April 2026 can be found on the Brookes Sport website.

To access these facilities we have discounted staff membership prices.

Activities

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.

Active travel and lunchtime walks

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.

Connect

Social relationships are critical for promoting wellbeing and for acting as a buffer against mental ill health for people of all ages. There are a number of opportunities for you to connect with colleagues at Oxford Brookes.

Events and activities

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

Groups and online forums

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.

Diversity networks

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.