It’s no secret that the “Freshman 15” is a major epidemic that affects a large percentage of students who are pulled by the copious dining hall options. Keenly aware of this fact, I wanted nothing more than to find a feasible and fun way to stay in shape during the school year. When I heard about CHAARG, an all women’s health and fitness group that had a chapter on Loyola’s campus, I was eager to be part of such a community.
CHAARG stands for “changing health, attitudes, and actions to recreate girls,” and seeks to inspire collegiate women to “ditch the elliptical” many feel tied to. CHAARG’s main goal is to help women realize fitness has various forms and can be a collaborative, empowering and fun experience! They focus on community which allows girls to feel motivated and excited about every workout and maintain a positive mindset throughout their fitness journey.
Nationwide, CHAARG is located on 70+ campuses and is comprised of over 10,000 members! In addition, CHAARG has been recognized in publications such as USA Today, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and The Washington Post.
I discovered CHAARG through the Loyola University Chicago Facebook Page and decided to sign up for the newsletter. I would later attend my first CHAARG workout during their recruitment week and had an absolute blast! We did a HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training workout which left me sore the next day. That same day I met two really sweet girls, Savvy and Alexsis, and together we have attended multiple CHAARG workouts and events.
One thing we’ve really been enjoying are CHAARG small groups! Small groups are weekly workout sessions that you are placed in with a few other girls and are facilitated by an assigned group leader. The leader is responsible for creating and leading and organizes workouts for the small group to participate in at the on-campus gym. Many of my group mates and I were interested in doing a spin class for our first small group session; something none of us had done before. The class proved to be challenging but really fun and since then I have continued to attend spin classes, both with CHAARG members and on my own!
Recently, CHAARG went to an event with Rise Up Nutrition, a nutrition club that offers healthy but delicious shakes (I strongly recommend the Oreo), fitness coaching, community workouts and more. After giving us a taste test of some of their amazing drinks, the company’s founder, Meera, gave an empowering speech on wellness and debunked some myths regarding health and fitness. She also answered our many questions about her personal health journey and spoke on the services and events that Rise Up Nutrition organizes for the community.
Although it’s only been a month, I can confidently say that I have found so much joy in the CHAARG program. I’ve met powerful women who inspire me to persevere and encourage me everyday. I am excited to continue my fitness journey with them and I cannot wait to update you about all things #CHAARG! For more information on CHAARG and how you can join the Loyola Chapter, click here.