Healthier you provides access to information on a range of different health topics and provides connection to free and low cost programs and services that can help you maintain health and well being.
Cultural activities accessible from home
Karul Projects Shake-a-leg series
ABC This Place and learn the meaning of the Indigenous place names across Australia
ABC Word Up and celebrate the diversity of Australia’s first languages, one word at a time.
I Can Be
Active & Healthy @Home offers a range of free and fun activities you can do at home anytime
Healthy at Home workouts to help your physical health and mental wellbeing along with simple recipes and tips to maintain a balanced diet.
Be inspired by nature
Naturally Gold Coast, immerse yourself in our local nature trails
Paperbark writer, introduction to Nature Journaling and free colour therapy resources
Six months free and personal assistance is just a phone call away.
Get Healthy offers free telephone based counselling to support you to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Your coach will work with you to set goals relating to eating healthier, increasing exercise and personal health goals that are relevant to you. You can register online for a coach to call you or phone 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).
My Health for Life offers face to face or telephone support and is designed to assist you to make positive lifestyle changes in order to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lifestyle related cancers. Complete the health check to assess your chronic disease risk and to see if you meet the eligibility criteria. If you would prefer to do this over the phone you can call 13RISK (13 74 75).
COACH offers free telephone based counselling for individuals who have a chronic disease. Your COACH can help you manage your chronic disease and take steps to improve your overall health. Call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).
Regular physical activity supports good health and can help with weight management. Check out some of the programs which you can join to help you become more physically active:
Active and Healthy Gold Coast offers free and low-cost community activities targeted at all age and fitness levels.
Parkrun offers free, weekly, 5km walk/run events across the Gold Coast and are open to everyone. People of every ability are encouraged to take part, from walkers or those taking their first steps in running or those who just want to connect to their community.
Health and Wellbeing Queensland showcase a range of exercises focused on core strength, toning, stability, balance and cardio health.
The 10,000 Steps program gives you practical advice on how you can reach the recommended daily step total as part of your everyday routine.
The Heart Foundation walking program provides opportunities for you to connect with local walking groups led by volunteer walk organisers. You can use the postcode searcher to find a group near you.
The Gold Coast offers many bushwalks and nature trails to connect and immerse yourself in nature right on our doorstep. There are 691 kilometres of recreational trail and 35,000 hectares of bushland reserves, Conservation Areas and National Parks to enjoy across the city. Whether you like to bushwalk, trail run, bird watch, photograph, picnic, kayak or just relax in nature there is something for you.
Eating a balanced, nutritious diet and being physically active is the best way to stay healthy and help reduce your risk of disease.
Food can have a big impact on our day-to-day mood changes and mental wellbeing. Many of us find ourselves trying to boost our mood with a sugar hit. Unfortunately, while this might seem like a good short-term fix, it can end up making a low mood worse. Find out what food we can be eating to support better mental wellbeing.
Health and Wellbeing Queensland offer a range of healthy recipe and lunchbox ideas.
Queensland Health’s Dieting and weight management page includes information on healthy eating.
Dietitians are allied health professionals who use their knowledge of human nutrition to help people manage their health. You can make an appointment with a private practice dietitian without a referral from a GP. Find an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
If you are a patient in hospital, many Queensland hospitals have dietitians available. Talk to your local hospital to find out more.
Gold Coast Health is taking the lead by offering drinks of high nutritional value to patients, visitors and staff at all of our facilities. We are creating an environment that makes healthy food choices easier by improving the range, availability and promotion of healthy foods and drinks, while limiting the availability of less healthy options. This is in line with Queensland Health’s A Better Choice strategy and the Health Service Directive, Healthier: Food and Drinks at Healthcare Facilities which was issued on 4 March 2020.
Read more about healthier choices in the Healthier Food and Drinks Guideline.
Research shows that ease of access to food is a big influence on eating behaviour. It is therefore important to ensure nutrient rich foods are provided as an easy choice, and easy access to unhealthy food and drink in work areas is reduced.
The consumption of foods high in saturated fat and refined sugar is known to be associated with a range of long-term health issues. These issues include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, obesity and short-term impacts on body functions. Cognitive functions such as memory, attention, speed and flexibility have all been found to be impaired by high saturated fat intake and sugary food and drinks are one of the main causes of tooth decay. The majority (73%) of young people (14-18 years) have been shown to be consuming too much sugar and in 2018 more than 94,000 Gold Coast adults and 6,400 children (5-17 years) were experiencing obesity.
Water as a drink of choice will be promoted and accessibility to refill stations across all facilities will be highlighted to help reduce plastic waste. Staff and visitors will be encouraged to use their refillable bottles where appropriate. Gold Coast Health is also working with Council and other venues to promote the consumption of tap water from refill stations through the Choose Tap collaboration.
For further information regarding Healthier Food and Drinks initiatives email: healthyGCH@health.qld.gov.au
Happy and healthy go hand in hand. If you’ve been talking about getting in shape or eating better then you’re in the right place. Explore all the healthy recipes, fun exercise videos and handy guides to get you started. Find your healthy happy!
Helping you find your Healthier. Happier Calculate your health and fitness age?
Located at the Southport Health Precinct, Gold Coast Sexual Health offers free and confidential services for testing and treating sexually transmissible infections (STIs). No referrals are necessary.
You can also visit Queensland Health’s Sexual health page for a range of information in relation to looking after you sexual health.
QLife is a counselling and referral service for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex (LGBTI). Q-life provides nation-wide, early intervention, peer supported telephone and web based services to people of all ages across. For further support from this service call 1800 184 527 (between 3:00pm-12:00am).
Men experience different health concerns at various life stages. Check out what you can do to stay healthy throughout each decade of your life.
When was your last service? Knowing when to have your car checked is no different than keeping your body in peak condition. The Spanner in the Works website provides an interactive age based tool for men to review relevant health issues.
Lifestyle choices are important factors in maintaining health and wellbeing visit Queensland Health’s Men’s Health page for some tips.
Men’s Shed is a community-based organisation that's accessible to all. It provides opportunities for social inclusion and a chance for men to work on various building and restoration projects. There are various Men’s Shed locations on the Gold Coast.
Council Active and Healthy program offers lots of free and low cost activities for men. Find out what is on offer in your local area by visiting their events webpage and search using keyword “men”.
Females experience different health concerns at various life stages. Check out what you can do to stay healthy throughout each decade of your life here.
Jean Hailes information relating to menopause, sexual health, breast health, fertility and a range of other womens health related topics.
Contraception options are available. It is recommended that you discuss contraception options with your doctor to find the one which is most suitable for you.
Griffith University in partnership with other tertiary education providers are running a number of women’s wellness programs.
Council Active and Healthy program offers lots of free and low cost activities for women. Find out what is on offer in your local area by visiting their events webpage and search using keyword “women”.
Health and Wellbeing Queensland shares the #Queenslandher conversation on their social feeds. You can find inspirational Queenslander stories or share your tips for better wellbeing.
The Sleep Health Foundation offers useful information on how to manage your sleep patterns and what you can do to ensure you are getting enough sleep while undertaking shift work.
There is also a fact sheet about Caffeine, Food, Alcohol, Smoking and Sleep, all of which can affect good sleep health.
The Raising Children Network website provides free, reliable, up-to-date and independent information to help your family grow and thrive together. Designed for busy families and full of tips and tricks for parents to try. The articles, videos and interactive resources are tailored to different ages and stages, taking you from nurturing a newborn to raising a confident, resilient teen – and helping you to look after yourself as a parent too.
Growing good habits by Health and Wellbeing Queensland provides advice and suggestions to help give children a healthy start in life.
The Nature Play Qld program aims to increase the time Queensland children spend in unstructured play outdoors and in nature. It is founded on the understanding that unstructured play outdoors - nature play - is fundamental to a full and healthy childhood.
The city of Gold Coast’s Active and Healthy kids program provides a range of activities such as after school fitness, running groups, athletics, dance and a school holiday program.
Immunise GC provides local information on immunisation programs, including; during pregnancy, childhood, school immunisations and free community clinics.
Visit Queensland Health’s Immunisation page for information on the National Immunisation program including what vaccinations you may require throughout varying stages of your life.
There are a range of support services you can access if you are experiencing financial hardship or need help with basics such as food or shelter.
My community directory lists over 60 welfare and support services locally offering varying supports including free food.
Red Cross Relief provides a number of services including supporting older adults in the community by ensuring their basic needs are met and they have opportunities for social connection.
Providing mental health support programs to build bridges back into the community, parent support programs and programs aimed at high risk and vulnerable populations.
Lifeline offers information and support programs as well as a financial counselling. Contact 1800 007 007 (9:30am-4pm Monday to Friday).
St Vincent de Paul Society provides a range of financial support services on a one-on-one basis for people seeking assistance.
The Salvation Army offers emergency relief, no interest loans, financial counselling and other welfare services to help with your financial difficulties.
Visit Queensland Health’s Quit Smoking page for a range of options to support you to quit smoking and enjoy a healthier smoke free life.
My QuitBuddy is a mobile phone app designed to support and encourage you on your journey to becoming smoke- free. The app can support you through the hard times with helpful tips and distractions to overcome cravings; tracking systems to chart your progress and all the facts you need to understand the impact smoking has on your health.
Visit Queensland Health’s Drug use: help and treatment page for information, advice and referral options.
DrinkWise provides facts about drinking, advice for parents and a drinks calculator which shows you how much alcohol is in different beverages. You may be surprised by the alcohol content of some drinks.
My Drinking Choices provides a short quiz which can be used as a guide to understand your alcohol use and potential issues. (This is a Queensland Government site, however access via some browsers may suggest the site is not secure).
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Service (AODS) provides innovative solutions to reduce the harmful impact of drug use. The service works closely with non-government organisations referring clients for continuing support. To contact the AODS service you can call 1300 744 284.
Beyond Blue offers facts about mental health, support services and information on how to help your family and friends. For more immediate support you can contact the Beyond Blue support service line on 1300 22 46 36 (open 24/7).
Lifeline offers online tools and information in relation to mental health and available support services. For 24hr crisis support you can also contact the Lifeline call centre on 13 11 14.
Gold Coast Health offers a range of Mental Health Services providing assessment, treatment and support to individuals who experience a mental illness. Services are provided depending on individual need and range from inpatient treatment to support in the community.
Headspace offer an online free and confidential space where young people (aged between 12-25) can chat, email or speak with a qualified youth mental health professional. You can also speak to someone in person by visiting your nearest headspace centre.
A chronic disease or condition is one that has been, or is likely to be, present for at least six months, including (but not limited to) asthma, cancer, cardiovascular illness, diabetes mellitus, a mental health condition, arthritis or a musculoskeletal condition.
If you have/live with a chronic condition, there are a variety of wellness programs that can help you to understand and manage your condition:
Active and Healthy Gold Coast includes a range of free and low-cost exercise therapy activities for people who have a chronic disease. For more information on these sessions, including location, time and cost, search events by keyword "exercise therapy" and enter the dates or times you are interested in.
COACH offers free telephone-based counselling for individuals who have a chronic disease. Your COACH can help you manage your chronic disease and take steps to improve your overall health. Call 13 HEALTH (13 45 25 84) to enquire about this program.
A range of local chronic disease service providers can be found on the My Community directory.
It is important to discuss management options with your GP. You may be eligible to access individual allied health services through a care plan. This can include exercise allied health support that in many cases can be bulk billed with no out-of-pocket expense. If your GP confirms you are eligible, they will complete a referral form and refer you to a provider.
If you are aged between 45-49 you may be eligible for a free health assessment, to explore potential lifestyle changes to prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease. A Medicare rebate is payable once only for each eligible patient.
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program invites Australians aged 45–74 to participate in bowel cancer screening with the use of a free home test kit. If you’re aged 45– 49, you will need to request your first free kit. Between ages 50–74, the kits will be sent to you when you’re due to test—you don’t need to request them. The free test kits are sent to the address listed with Medicare, so it is important to keep this up to date.
BreastScreen Queensland Women aged between 50 and 74 are encouraged to attend a breastscreen every 2 years. Women are eligible to attend this free service from 40 onwards. An appointment can be made online via the website or by phoning 132050.
Women and people with a cervix who are aged 25–74 are invited to have a Cervical Screening Test through their healthcare provider. The test is recommended every five years for those who have ever been sexually active. The test is safe and accurate and samples can be taken either by the person themselves through self-collection or by the clinician.
The National Lung Cancer Screening Program screens for lung cancer in high-risk individuals using low-dose computed tomography (low-dose CT) scans. People are eligible for the program if they are aged between 50 and 70 years and:
- show no signs or symptoms suggesting you may have lung cancer (that is, you are asymptomatic)
- currently smoke or have quit smoking in the past 10 years
- have a history of tobacco cigarette smoking of at least 30 pack-years.
Sun safety is important for everyone. Cancer Council offers information on how to protect yourself and others from skin cancer. A Sunsmart app is also available to download, which helps you to keep track of UV levels throughout the day and sends you reminders at the times of the day when UV levels are higher. The app also allows you to set reminders to reapply your sunscreen.
Planning a large event? Gold Coast Health has developed Mass Gathering Sun Safety Guidelines.
Health and Wellbeing Queensland supports employers to create healthy work environments for their staff.
