UMassGives 2024

If you’re a girl looking to exercise in a unique way while meeting new friends and familiarizing yourself with campus, join CHAARG! CHAARG (Changing Health, Attitudes + Actions to Recreate Girls) is a nationwide organization that aims to encourage fitness and healthy lifestyles in fun, new ways.

For seven years now, CHAARG has been “liberating girls from the elliptical” through "spotlight" sessions and small group workouts on more than fifty college campuses. Luckily, UMass has its own chapter, which my roommate has been in since her freshman year. She raves about her experiences with CHAARG, whether that be the places she has visited with the club or the friends she has made through it. As a freshman, CHAARG gave her an instant social life and something to do. Similar to a sorority, CHAARG is a welcoming and supportive group of girls with similar mindsets. However, CHAARG is all-inclusive. There is no “rush” process, and anyone is welcome to join with a small fee of $45. 

On the plus side, you don’t have to be a health nut to be in CHAARG. As long as you want to benefit your mental and physical health, you’re golden. The club hosts “spotlight” sessions in or around Amherst at various locations, where you can take part in alternatives to the classic gym workout, such as yoga, rock climbing, or cycling. These give you the chance to familiarize yourself with the Amherst area and workout in a cool way. There are also weekly “small group” sessions, which take place at the Rec Center on campus, where you can exercise with your group members and get to know each other!

Being in CHAARG is not a demanding commitment. Attendance at every single spotlight or small group session is not mandatory, although they’re fun, and you’ll want to go to all of them. CHAARG is a fun way to meet people, familiarize yourself with where you go to school, and above all, be healthy!