The dreaded elliptical.
This is one of the few options marketed to women trying to join the fitness world. The isolation and repetitiveness of this cardio machine can be both intimidating and disheartening, and the last thing anyone needs when trying to get in shape is demotivation.
As of Fall 2015, however, a few LSU girls – 194 of them, to be exact – have found a cure to the elliptical problem. That cure is CHAARG, or Changing Health Attitudes + Action to Recreate Girls. The national organization brought a chapter to LSU three semesters ago, thanks to LSU’s first CHAARG ambassador, Morgan Simpson. Since then, the organization has changed quite a few girls’ views on what fitness can be, and has changed some of their lives in the process.
Five of those girls found themselves on the Executive Team of the LSU chapter and have in turn found themselves mentally recreated. Elizabeth Selden, CHAARG’s secretary, explained what this female-oriented fitness group does for girls.
“By empowering each other, we’re not only helping each other physically with fitness, it’s more of a mental aspect. It doesn’t just change your outside; it changes your mindset.”
She added that the emotional encouragement within the supportive group of women is one of its best aspects, saying, “The best thing about it, regardless of fitness, is that it is a community of people that actually are concerned with another.”
Every girl agreed that the support and positivity of having other women encouraging them, complimenting them, and offering emotional comfort has been one of the greatest factors in releasing them from their personal trials and insecurities.
CHAARG’s current ambassador Nadeen Alali, for example, said she developed an eating disorder after being surrounded by critical family members and friends in high school. When she got braces, she began to abstain from solid foods at the recommendation of her dentist, but she continued to avoid solid food for two years until she lost unhealthy amounts of weight.
“I remember visiting the Philippines,” she said, “and my grandmother, who’s like 80-something, who doesn’t remember my name, sits down and says ‘I know you, you are not healthy, this is not acceptable. You’re so pretty, and now you’re just skin and bones. This is not acceptable; you should be eating healthy. I’ll cook you something.’ ”
Alali says the interaction brought her to tears, and when her own mother tried to convince her to start eating more, she realized she needed to eat and began the path to recovery. However, things changed after she graduated high school.
“When I arrived to college, all that was lost,” said Alali. “I went into this deep, dark hole. I had no friends. I started gaining weight, and when I started gaining weight, the whole thing came back to me where I was that chubby kid again and everyone was poking fun at me. I had no one to connect to, and I had no one there to support me and be my backbone through the journey.”
Unable to place herself mentally and emotionally in her workouts and falling off the bandwagon over and over, Alali at last found the confidence and support she needed with the girls in CHAARG.
“When I found CHAARG, I found the support of women,” she said. “I found out that other girls have hair issues, too, and that other girls have weight issues, too. I found out I’m not alone in this journey.”
Amanda Mayhall, an event coordinator for CHAARG, added on to that with an inspiring note about her own mental shift: “Now, I want to gain more weight,” she said. “Now, I’m excited. I want to keep gaining weight, I want to keep getting stronger, and I want to keep gaining momentum. I’m proud to want to gain weight. I’m proud of the mental change of ‘I want to be stronger’ instead of ‘I want to be thinner.’ ”
Bettina Bausa, CHAARG’s Vice President of Media, added that she’s stopped comparing herself to other girls: “I’m more comfortable with myself,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how much weight I lose or gain, I know that it isn’t permanent and that I’m constantly a work in progress. I’ve learned to accept myself.”
These positive life changes are not just due to physical self-betterment, although that is indeed a factor. The connection and the emotional bond between these girls is stronger than your average fitness club or even your average friend group. They support each other unconditionally, and it makes their lives healthier and their minds and bodies stronger.
“Through CHAARG, I’ve learned that I’m not alone,” said Olivia Polk, CHAARG’s Vice President of Membership. “I have people that are in it with me. In college, and at LSU especially, health and fitness can get very lonely. So, it’s very nice to not be by yourself when you feel that way.”
“I learned how strong I was,” added Selden. “CHAARG helped me find my identity more, and with the support that I got through everyone, I’ve been able to appreciate myself, and to be able to know who I am.”
And this happiness and confidence tends to feed off of itself, making the CHAARG girls that much happier and more supportive, both for themselves and for others.
“Your happiness and your positive energy rub off on people, and that’s an amazing capability you can have,” said Alali. Her happiness and positivity are definitely contagious, and she displays them proudly.
“I’m happy the way I am. I am special, and I am unique, and that’s what makes me happy every day.”