As I was cleaning off my elliptical, I told my friend that I was going downstairs to finish my workout. Her response? “Wow, you’re brave. I’m afraid to go down there.”
Anyone who has ever stepped foot in the Student Recreation Center on UNC’s campus will tell you that the upstairs (cardio equipment) is for the girls, and the downstairs (machines and weights) is for the boys. But since when is the gym a middle school dance? Last time I checked, we’re all there to get a little sweat on, so who cares how we do it? Every person’s body is completely different and requires unique workouts to push it to its limit; and making both women and men feel that they have to workout the ‘tough’ or ‘girly’ way is only negatively hurting our bodies.
Clearly, UNC students aren’t the only ones who face this problem. CHAARG [Changing Health, Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls] is a fitness organization aimed at freeing college women from the elliptical and encouraging them to embrace different health routines in a way that works for them personally.
Elisabeth Tavierne founded CHAARG in 2012 at Ohio State University, and it has since then expanded to 24 campuses around the country. CHAARG encourages their 2,500+ members to “find their fit” by partnering with local gyms and studios, such as Pure Barre and CrossFit, in order to give girls exposure to multiple new workout styles.
Sarah Clem, the Director of Expansion for CHAARG, says, “CHAARG has showed me that there are so many other ways to workout. There is so much more to being healthy than just a number on a scale.” That’s why CHAARG not only helps their members in the gym, but also stresses the importance of living an overall healthy and balanced lifestyle.
If you are as inspired by CHAARG’s mission as I am, start a chapter here in Chapel Hill by emailing chapters@chaarg.com. Until then, you can become a part of the CHAARG family by joining their “virtual chapter.” For more information about this organization, check out their website at http://chaarg.com/. We hope to see them soon on our campus!