College women can still workout and engage with their peers six feet away. // Photo courtesy of Ally Montana.
During the nationwide stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all gyms were temporarily shut down, leaving thousands of people to rely on virtual home workouts. One of these online programs is a national organization called CHAARG, which promotes physical fitness and living a healthy lifestyle for women. The organization recently established a new chapter at Hofstra University thanks to founder Isabella Massucci.
Massucci, who is now a junior majoring in health sciences, transferred to Hofstra after her freshman year at Syracuse University, where she was a member of their CHAARG chapter. When she enrolled at Hofstra, she decided to become an ambassador and present the program to the women on campus. “It’s such a positive community, especially during your college [years],” she said.
CHAARG was created in 2012 to “show college girls everywhere that owning your fitness is owning your life,” according to their website.
Each week, the Hofstra chapter hosts two workouts that are run by trainers from local gyms. There are also small group workouts that meet either through Zoom or at a local park where social distancing guidelines are enforced.
To join the chapter at Hofstra, there is a fee of $47 for the semester. Compared to other gym memberships, however, the subscription price is a cheaper option for college students and offers women the chance to interact with peers of the same age who have similar workout goals. CHAARG also hosts events and socials over the course of the semester that are fitness community builders.
Photo courtesy of Ally Montana
Students can get involved through the Facebook group for Hofstra members, which offers the opportunity for the participants to make connections with other fitness enthusiasts on campus. Several of the members see CHAARG at Hofstra as a “safe space” for women to reach their fitness goals, no matter what level.
“It’s kind of challenging not going to the Fitness Center, but we are making do,” said Falyn Wanatick, a sophomore audio/radio production major. “It is something we have to get used to but it has been fun so far.”
Wanatick emphasized how motivational the CHAARG women are during their workouts. Members and trainers play music and motivate one another, creating a fun environment for students to work out in.
Crystal Bermudez joined the organization as soon as it was founded on campus. “I joined CHAARG to be around other women that are motivated and promote ways [of] being healthy,” said Bermudez, a sophomore journalism major. “It also gives an advantage [to] those who are part of this program [because we can] access workouts, in person or virtually, whether in a group or alone … and [we can connect with] others who enjoy fitness.” An integral part of CHAARG is showing women that fitness can be fun, as well as a way to form relationships with other women on both local and national scales. “I have met other women that I may not have gotten the chance to meet, so it’s nice to have that outlet with people that share [the] same motivation.” Bermudez said.