Are you a freshman at Pitt looking for a way to make new friends while taking care of yourself? Or a returning student trying to make exercise part of your weekly routine? If so, look no further than CHAARG, Pitt’s all-girl club centered around all things physical (and mental!) health.
University of Pittsburgh CHAARG is one of 60+ CHAARG chapters located at universities across the U.S. Established in 2012 with the goal of “liberating girls from the elliptical,” CHAARG has grown into a national movement aiming to help college women prioritize self-care amid their hectic schedules, all while meeting other women with similar mindsets.
At Pitt, a CHAARG semester membership costs just $45. With this, you have access to weekly all-chapter and small group workouts all semester long. Weekly workouts are held every Monday at 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. and feature professional instructors from various fitness establishments in Pittsburgh. The type of workout changes every week, so members get to try out a variety including kickboxing, yoga, HIIT, chair dancing, and more. As a member of CHAARG myself, I’ve loved being exposed to so many different types of fitness through weekly workouts, many which I never would have tried on my own!
Small group workouts occur throughout the week, and members sign up for a time that fits best within their schedule at the beginning of the semester. These offer a great opportunity to get to know other CHAARG women and get in a second weekly workout. Every week, I look forward to the relaxation and social opportunity that small group workouts offer as a break from my schoolwork. It takes only an hour of my time, but it leaves me refreshed and ready to face my classes and extracurricular responsibilities.
As an added bonus, Pitt CHAARG offers a Saturday workout known as a “Weekend Warrior” once a month. Members can sign up to travel with their friends to a studio in the city and work out there. Occasionally, a Weekend Warrior is held on-campus as well. Last February, I attended one held in the William Pitt Union led by a professional yoga instructor, and it was such a soothing way to start off my weekend. I have always loved yoga, and because of CHAARG, I have gotten to do so much more of it while exploring different types and their benefits.
(Photograph by Maddie Wells via the Pitt CHAARG Facebook Page)
I would highly recommend a CHAARG membership to any woman at the University of Pittsburgh and any other university with a chapter. There is no easier way to insert fitness and self-care into your weekly schedule and make friends at the same time! I will always be happy that I joined in my first semester at Pitt, and I’m eager to spread the word about this life-changing organization.
See you on the workout floor. :)
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