College life brings new challenges and opportunities, making it important to stay mindful of both your physical and mental health. Morehead State’s Recreation & Wellness Center offers a variety of options to keep you active, including fitness classes, an amazing indoor pool, basketball courts, and other types of open recreation spaces. You can also join a variety of intramural teams throughout the school year!
Counseling and Health Services provide support for mental health, routine medical needs, and overall wellness. This guide also connects you to nearby resources such as urgent care clinics, local hospitals, and community programs to ensure you have access to the care you need.
Whether you are looking to stay fit, manage stress, or find reliable healthcare, this page is designed to help you make your well-being a priority.
Disclaimer!
We are not providing any form of health recommendations in this guide. We are not physicians, counselors, or health professionals in any capacity. We are pointing you to a variety of available services and discussing them. We also offer some considerations regarding making conscious decisions for yourself in situations college students regularly find themselves in. Before making any decision regarding your health and well-being, consult professionals.
Recreation & Wellness Center
MSU students receive automatic membership to the Recreation and Wellness Center!
Once inside the building, scan your EagleCard at the turnstiles and you have access to all sorts of amenities.
Here is a link to the Hours of Operation, which are subject to change.
Need some info about what equipment, facilities, courts, group fitness, outdoor recreation, and intramurals are offered? Check out the Facilities page for a comprehensive list.
Do you have a spouse, a child, or a friend that's visiting? They have membership options and you can purchase guest access too. For more information about these perks, facilities policies, and membership policies, check out this membership link.
Intramurals
These organized athletic events are fantastic ways to stay in shape and build community in a competitive, but supportive structured environment. There are individual and team sports to participate in, as well as some informal drop-in activities that are available during the Rec Center's operation hours - such as basketball, volleyball, racquetball, and more! Some activities are offered seasonally, and there is a registration window for anything that's not drop-in. So, be mindful, check the schedule for the semester with the link provided below, and set reminders!
Team Sports:
Individual/Dual Sports:
If you would like more information, visit the Intramurals webpage. This is also a great opportunity to check out the intramurals handbook and to view the sport regulations.
You can also call at 606-783-5284
Outdoor Recreation
MSU has easy access to plenty of wonderful outdoor recreation. If you want to hike, camp, or kayak, you can rent equipment from the Rec Center during normal business hours.
Dorm Fit!
Going to a gym and working out in public can be very intimidating. Don't let this stop you from investing in yourself, however! Work out in the privacy of your dorm room when you have an hour to yourself. There are many fitness apps and streaming options to get in quality exercise and stretching in private. I personally love doing story time yoga with my oldest son at home via YouTube.
Campus Health Center & Related Services
Address your physical and mental health needs at Allie Young Hall, right beside the library.
They can be reached via phone at 606-783-2055 from 8AM to 4:30PM, via email at counselingandhealthservices@moreheadstate.edu, and you can also learn more by checking out the Counseling and Health Services webpage.
Focusing on the physical needs here is a list of services offered:
Click the following link for information regarding Fees and Billing.
Urgent Care VS ER...When and Where to Go
Reminder: We are not providing medical advice. Get that from the professionals. However, there are some wonderful professionals that work at Mayo Clinic that published a great article for those of you who wonder when you should go to Urgent Care vs. when you should go to the ER, and what the differences between those institutions are.
The following information is provided by Emergency vs. Urgent Care: What's the difference? - Mayo Clinic
ER:
Urgent Care:
"Always call 911 and don't drive yourself to the Emergency Department if you are having difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, a life or limb injury, or signs of stroke or heart attack."
Local Pharmacies & Prescription Refills
If you have medications to be filled, below are a list of local options, in no particular order.
Keep in mind that when you go through insurance, they may have restrictions on which businesses you can use. Furthermore, some medications may be available at some of these places and not at others. When in doubt, call with the provided information and speak to a pharmacist!
Counseling Services
First and foremost, if you are experiencing a life-threatening situation, please do one or more of the following:
From MSU's Mental Health Services webpage:
The MSU Counseling Center provides a safe place for individuals to talk with a professional about problems which might interfere with personal growth and academic achievement. Through individual counseling, students can learn to express themselves more fully, work toward greater self-understanding, and experience themselves as happier and more productive people.
All registered students are eligible for free counseling services at the MSU Counseling Center. The following services are available:
Hours of operation are Monday - Friday, 8AM to 4:30PM.
Appointments can be scheduled, changed, and canceled by calling 606-783-2055
Counseling records are confidential, cannot be released without your knowledge and signed authorization except as mandated by law, and these records are kept separately from other university records.
Stress Management
According to the CDC webpage on managing stress, "everyone experiences occasional stress; it is a normal part of life. Long-term stress can lead to worsening health problems. Managing stress daily can prevent you from developing long-term stress."
Here's how the CDC says stress can impact your daily life:
Here is how the CDC recommends we cope with stress in a healthy way:
It's OK to Say No
Keeping it brief, saying "no" is one of the hardest things to do. It's important to learn this skill early, however! Whether we are being pressured to go along with an activity we don't want to do, participate in something questionable in nature, or to brush off an important assignment to go have fun, we have to draw lines.
Often, we think saying "no" will cost us a friend or socially isolate us. What saying no really does is show others we value ourselves. If others hear "no" but persist in trying to dissuade you, they are not holding you in the esteem you deserve.
Respect yourself and make the decisions that are best for you, even if that means saying "no." I promise, you will have to do this more than once, in college and after.
