“A lot of women are just told that if you want to work out, you just have to figure it out,” Sydney Vargo, sophomore human physiology and preventative medicine major, said. “I’m so excited about CHAARG because it will give women a space to learn how to worship through movement.”
Vargo is Taylor’s CHAARG ambassador. She hopes the Student Senate will approve a chapter of this national women’s fitness club, whose acronym stands for Changing Health Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls. She’s obsessed with CHAARG’s mission to unite women on their fitness journeys and inspire them to try new forms of fitness together, she said.
At Taylor, this initiative will offer weekly workouts and workout small groups that dig deeper into the CHAARG community if approved by the Senate.
CHAARG also offers two socials each semester, where members can socialize outside of the gym.
Membership is $50 per semester, Vargo said.
More than 160 women have already expressed interest in the club, Vargo said. God is clearly opening doors for the club to become a reality at Taylor, she said.
“I'm so humbled and so, so grateful that God put this opportunity in front of me to bring to Taylor,” she said.
Since Taylor’s students are busy, Vargo appreciated the fact that none of the CHAARG events were mandatory.
CHAARG’s events are not only flexible with time commitment requirements, but also workout style. The group encourages women to diversify their routine. Weekly chapter workouts will constantly incorporate new workouts. This could include weightlifting, running, CrossFit, pilates and yoga, Vargo said.
She hopes this infuses Taylor women with confidence to try new things in the gym.
“It feels like there's a lack of confidence surrounding the weight room,” she said. “And there's no one there to facilitate that need, and the environment that's created around women lifting is intimidating.”
Often, when Vargo goes to The Well, Taylor’s gym, she notices only a few women, most of whom are on treadmills. She’d love to see more women trying more forms of exercise, she said.
Vargo also hopes this chapter of CHAARG, led by Christian women, will help Taylor girls develop a Christian outlook on fitness that views working out as worshipful.
Chrissy Potter, junior psychology major and vice president of media for CHAARG, agreed.
Fitness is a stepping stone to feeling whole, Potter said. Christians must steward the body, spirit and soul to thrive.
“We should be filling our bodies and our minds and our hearts with things that are of God,” she said. “They all go in together, and you have to be very mindful about what you're intaking as a whole person.”
CHAARG will promote this God-honoring unity of the body, soul and mind at Taylor, she said.
Christian stewardship relies on the biblical theme of treating the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, Damaris Hernandez, sophomore exercise science major and event coordinator for CHAARG, said.
Going to the gym is a part of this process of holistic health. However, that’s difficult if the gym is an intimidating place without any community support. That’s where CHAARG can step in and provide an uplifting community, Hernandez said.
“We're creating a space where girls can feel less intimidated and more supported in their fitness and their health,” she said. “It's closing the gap between anxiety and action.”
The group workouts will participate in this process by exposing women to new workouts, providing them with gym buddies and encouraging them to try new things, she said.
Hernandez encouraged anyone interested in CHAARG to sign up if the club is approved at Taylor.
“Anyone and everyone, period, should come check it out and join,” she said. “This is a really cool opportunity to be a part of something about Taylor, and you could make history by being part of the first chapter.”
