Our favourite wellbeing activities in Birmingham

In a city as lively as Birmingham, finding time to slow down and focus on your wellbeing can sometimes feel like a challenge. As city life experts and advocates for taking self-care seriously, we've scoured the city to find the best wellbeing activities in Birmingham, perfect for when you need time to yourself.

Whether you’re from the area or find yourself on a trip in Brum, you’re in luck – from canal walks to Hotpod yoga, here’s our guide to the best ways to take care of yourself in Birmingham.

1. Walk Birmingham’s canal route

Did you know Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice? Minus the singing gondoliers, taking a stroll and getting yourself outdoors is one of the easiest ways to improve your mood. 

Birmingham’s canals provide the perfect setting for a peaceful walk — without having to leave the city. The canals span a huge 35 miles (compared to Venice’s 30), and you can take a number of short or long walks along the route, spotting some of Birmingham’s prettiest spots along the way.

If you’re after a shorter walk, we suggest starting at Brindleyplace and following the path towards Bournville. This stretch takes you past the historic gas street basin, then you can head back and spend time around Brindleyplace – a lovely canal-side collection of restaurants.

2. Kayak or paddleboard at Roundhouse Birmingham

For something a bit more physical, Roundhouse Birmingham offers guided kayak and paddle boarding through the city’s canals. Led by experienced instructors, these tours are suited to all levels — so even if you’ve never stepped onto a paddleboard before, you’ll get plenty of guidance.

It’s a calming but unique way to see the city, you’ll float past old industrial buildings to more peaceful stretches of water, all while getting some gentle exercise in – known for helping boost mood and motivation.

3. Visit Moseley park and pool on their wellness Wednesdays

Moseley park and pool is a private, members-only green space that feels like a secret, but sits just two miles outside the city centre. Every Wednesday, the park opens its gates to everyone for free to enjoy its 11-acres of parkland – a nice woodland walk once a week would make a great wellbeing activity.

It has less of a busy vibe than the larger parks in Birmingham, feeling much more secluded. We’d suggest bringing a book and sitting by the lake.

4. Get an at-home massage with Urban

You know when you book a relaxing massage, but then have to shift through city centre traffic straight after, undoing all the stress relief? Booking a massage that comes to you with Urban (that’s us!) cuts all of that out, so you can keep that relaxing feeling for longer.

Available to book across Birmingham, the Urban app lets you choose from a range of massage treatments, delivered by the best therapists in the city.

So whether you need a deep tissue massage after a tough week, a Swedish massage to fully relax, or even a sports recovery session, take your pick of pro and they’ll head to yours with everything they need – you just need to sort the towels.

5. Try a healing sound bath at Pearl & Truth

For a different type of relaxation, a healing sound bath meditation is worth a try. Pearl & Truth hosts its immersive sound bath sessions twice a month at Space Therapies in Birmingham. 

Never been to one before? You can expect to spend the time lying down with your eyes closed, listening to the vibrations from gongs, crystal singing bowls, and chimes help you reach a state of deep relaxation.

Sound baths are designed to help with stress reduction, mental clarity, and emotional balance, and they’re especially beneficial if you struggle to switch off through traditional meditation.  It’s also recommended for people with busy minds, to the point where you constantly feel restless.

6. Enjoy the quiet at the Library of Birmingham

The Library of Birmingham is one of the city’s best spots for a bit of quiet. Beyond just books, the building itself is a stunning space designed to be a peaceful place to go to when you need a break.

The Book Rotunda is one of our favourite spots – a spiral-shaped wall of books that stretches high overhead. The secret rooftop garden is another go-to, where you’ll get amazing views across the city – perfect for taking a breather. There's also something for history and literature lovers, with the Shakespeare memorial room dedicated to the playwright. 

With plenty of spaces to sit, read, and lots to look at, it’s a free place to go to take some time out.

7. Try a red light therapy treatment

You may have seen those scary red-light face masks all over social media, but you don’t have to fork out hundreds on the mask to get the benefits. Birmingham has plenty of specialist clinics that offer red light therapy treatment, so you can give it a try to see if you like it.

If you’re not sure what it does, red light therapy has quickly become a regular in many people’s beauty routines for its range of skin benefits. The red light is believed to help stimulate cell regeneration, boost collagen production and reduce inflammation – this can help with everything from reducing wrinkles to helping heal acne scarring.

It’s completely painless, requires no downtime, and can be done as a standalone treatment or alongside a massage or facial for an even deeper relaxation experience.

8. Get a unique facial at Lush Spa

Speaking of facials, treat yourself to a unique treatment at Lush Spa. Their facials are in a category of their own, with some of the most unique and sensory-focused facials you’ll find in Birmingham.

The facials combine massage, music, and aromatherapy to create a deep sense of relaxation. One of the most popular options is the validation facial, a fully tailored treatment that focuses on your individual skin concerns. Expect a deep cleanse, fresh face mask, nourishing serum and facial moisturiser, accompanied by massage.

Or if you’re looking to really relax, the tangled hair treatment sounds dreamy. Just 25 minutes long, this dry head massage uses firm techniques on your shoulders, face and scalp without needing to remove any clothes.

9. Try an evening Hotpod Yoga class

For yoga fans who’d like to try switching up their usual class, a Hotpod yoga session is a great wellbeing activity to challenge yourself. It takes yoga up a notch in a confined hot pod, with heat at around 37°C. The class is set to soothing music, surrounded by the purple glow of the pod.

Designed for all levels, it’s intense but accessible — you don’t need to be flexible or experienced to enjoy the benefits. The heat helps loosen tight muscles, making it easier to move, while the dark lighting removes distractions, so you can completely focus on your flow. All you need is a towel and a bottle of water.

We’d suggest trying an evening class – the heat and slow-flowing movements are an ideal way to unwind before bed. 

10. Volunteer at a local charity

Wellbeing isn’t just about looking after yourself — sometimes, the best way to feel good is by helping others. Birmingham has plenty of volunteering opportunities, whether you want to support local food banks, work with animals, help the homeless, or assist at community gardens.

Some great options include:

• SIFA Fireside – A homeless charity offering support services and daily meals

• Birmingham Dogs Home – Perfect for animal lovers who want to help care for rescue dogs

• The Active Wellbeing Society – Runs community projects, including food banks and active projects

• Edgbaston Reservoir Conservation – A great way to get outdoors and help maintain Birmingham’s green spaces

Volunteering doesn’t have to be a huge commitment either, even just a few hours a month can make a big difference. Plus, research has linked random acts of kindness to releasing dopamine and serotonin chemicals in the brain, our ‘feel good’ hormones – so helping out is just as good for you as it is for the community.