Background <p>Healthcare professionals, though responsible for promoting health in others, often face significant challenges in maintaining their own physical well-being. This study was conducted to assess physical health behaviours and identify major barriers to maintaining a healthy lifestyle among health professionals in a tertiary care institution in India.</p> Methods <p>A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted between February and May 2025 among 308 healthcare professionals selected through convenience sampling, using a self-structured questionnaire. Data on components of physical health behaviour i.e. physical activity, dietary/hydration habits, and self-care practices along with self-perceived physical health were collected using a self-administered method. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied using SPSS v20.</p> Results <p>Participants’ mean age was 31.85 ± 7.05 years; 51.9% were female, and 53.2% held clinical roles. Majority, 53.9% were physically active and 89% practiced good self-care but only 26% reported healthy dietary habits. The mean self-perceived health score was 7.29 ± 1.40 out of 10. Physical activity and dietary/hydration habits showed weak but statistically significant positive correlations with self-perceived health (<i>r</i> = 0.273 and <i>r</i> = 0.279, respectively; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). BMI showed a weak negative correlation with physical activity (<i>r</i> = − 0.115, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). “Lack of time” (58.7%) and “busy work schedule” (54.2%) emerged as the most frequent barriers across all domains.</p> Conclusion <p>Although healthcare professionals demonstrated satisfactory self-care and physical activity levels, their dietary habits remain suboptimal. Institutional and individual barriers especially lack of time and workload were identified as key barriers related to healthy lifestyle adoption. Prioritizing employee well-being through workplace health promotion and flexible schedules is essential to sustain a resilient healthcare workforce.</p>