DOCTORS, nurses and administrative workers are getting fit this week as Oxfordshire’s biggest hospital trust embarks on Workout at Work Week.

More than 11,000 members of staff at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUHT) are being encouraged to get fit and be more active at work.

The trust, which operates Headington’s John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital, and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, along with Banbury’s Horton General Hospital, is encouraging staff to do “lunchtime workouts”.

Throughout the week, staff have had the opportunity to try taster session exercise classes, from running to zumba.

The national week of awareness began last Friday and events at OUHT have been co-ordinated by the trust’s occupational health department.

Physiotherapist Julie Kelly said that hospital workers should “lead by example” and maintain healthy and active lifestyles in the workplace.

Over the course of the week, the 47-year-old has been offering Nordic walking taster sessions in the grounds of the JR during lunchtime.

She said: “We have a tough time getting shift workers, like nurses, out and doing stuff at lunchtime. But what we’re trying to do here is get as many workers as possible to give up their unpaid lunch hour, and do something active.

“We understand that lots of people will want to workout where they live and lots of people travel from far distances like Swindon.

“So what we’re doing is giving people a free taster session to give them a flavour of what certain exercise classes are like.

“Then if someone lives in Oxford, we can refer them to the council’s Go Active schemes.”

The mother-of-two added: “The most important thing is that we promote a healthy lifestyle and regular activity and, hopefully, we can get more staff members doing exercise at work.”

Members of the trust have participated in outdoor zumba classes, health walks and even rounders as part of the health and fitness week.

Research assistant Ali Vaughn now teaches two Zumba classes at the John Radcliffe Hospital every week.

The 48-year-old said: “I started taking part in classes about four years ago with colleagues, but we began having trouble getting to the classes.

“So about a year ago my colleagues said ‘why don’t you take instructor classes and teach it at the hospital’.”

Now the mother-of-one teaches the classes every Tuesday lunchtime and on Wednesday evenings.

OUHT has been encouraging “fitness in the workplace” on a permanent basis with its Here for Health centre, which staff can attend to check their blood pressure as well as getting advice on healthy eating and weight management.

Since opening last August, 709 staff members have used the service, and the occupational health team hope to boost the number of people using the facility during Workout at Work Week.