By Megan Sayles
AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
As the new year draws nearer, so does the time to make resolutions—many of which include eating healthier and getting back to the gym. Chizel It Transformation Center, located in Owings Mills, Md., is set to host a health seminar on Jan. 20 to help people make good on their promises.
The event will be broken into segments, each focused on a different aspect of health. Attendees will have the chance to learn about mindfulness, mobility, nutrition and crafting wellness strategies. They will also participate in a quick workout.
“We figured the best time to do it would be in the new year. That’s when people are more excited and motivated,” said Charli Harris, co-owner of Chizel It Transformation Center. “We’re not people that are just going to have you sitting in a class. There’s going to be movement and nutrition. It’s going to be more of a wellness experience.”
A central theme of the event will be “mastering wellness your way,” according to Charli Harris. She noted that every person’s wellness journey is different. People have to discover what works best for their body and lifestyle.
“It doesn’t have to look like the person next to you. It doesn’t have to look like the person on social media,” said Charli Harris. “You have to learn how to master it your way if you want to make it a lifestyle.”
Charli Harris’ father, Charles “Chizel” Harris, opened Chizel It Transformation Center in 2007. The Northeast Baltimore native had been a fitness trainer since 1999. Over the years, the fitness center changed locations several times. It’s only been in its current home on Red Run Boulevard for seven months.
Charli Harris joined the family business in 2021, after spending five years teaching Spanish at a high school. She’d already been certified as a personal trainer and nutritionist, and her job was not fulfilling her anymore.
Chizel It Transformation Center offers semi-private training, one-on-one personal training, nutrition coaching and group fitness classes, which include a total body cardio sculpting and core strengthening class.
“Every individual is different, and that’s why we personalize for every person that comes in. That’s the uniqueness of our facility. You’re not just a name in a computer or a number in our system, you’re a person that has needs,” said Charles Harris. “We do an evaluation and medical clearance. We want to make sure the person is healthy and help them overcome challenges.”
Part of the duo’s mission with this work is to promote wellbeing in the African-American community. Both of Charles Harris’ parents struggled with hypertension, which he referred to as the silent killer of African Americans.
The high blood pressure condition affects nearly 55 percent of Black adults, according to the American Heart Association.
“I think it’s a lack of education. We also might not have the best choices when it comes to food because of the environments we live in,” said Charles Harris. “Our passion is to help us because I’ve seen a lot of individuals who I feel like passed too soon because of lack of exercise or eating right.”
Megan Sayles is a Report For America corps member.
