Louisville Orthopedic and Fitness Trainer Partner to Promote "Train Like A Girl" Program to Encourage Young Women to be Healthy and Strong

February 10, 2015 - When it comes to inspiring young women to become fit and strong, two Louisville women are hard at work. Louisville orthopedic surgeon Dr. Stacie Grossfeld keeps many female athletes injury-free as a sports medicine physician. She also serves as the team doctor for area-programs like the Assumption High School Rockets and the Louisville Ballet. Similarly, fitness enthusiast and Certified Personal Trainer Cindy Geer is equally passionate about helping young women gain strength and establish fitness goals. As a TRX-certified competitive runner, her approach to personal training is both intense and compassionate.

Together the two women are working to promote a program they believe in wholeheartedly – and it is called Train Like A Girl.

When it comes to talking the talk and walking the walk, both Dr. Grossfeld and Ms. Geer serve as great fitness role models. Aside from her professional career as an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Grossfeld loves playing tennis where she competes at a 4.5 USTA level, primarily playing singles. She also enjoys riding her bike almost every single day, and she does strength training two times a week.

Similarly, along with helping her clients reach their fitness goals, Ms. Geer also enjoys her own routine, competing most recently in the 2014 Urban Bourbon Half Marathon organized by the Louisville Sports Commission and training for the 2015 Kentucky Derby Festival Triple Crown races. In order to maintain her high level of fitness, Ms. Geer works out regularly with a trainer, and incorporates interval training into her routine. She especially enjoys running across the Big Four pedestrian bridge to Indiana and on the trails along the Ohio River.

Along with a passion for health and fitness, another thing these two Louisville women share is a keen interest in encouraging young women to get more physical activity and develop strength.

While physical activity is important for boys and girls, encouraging girls to get more physical activity may be particularly urgent. Based on 2013 data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 37% of high school boys report being physically active at least 60 minutes a day. In comparison, only 17.7% of high school girls report this level of activity. Long term consequences of inactivity include a higher risk for chronic disease like diabetes, asthma and arthritis, higher obesity rates, and poorer overall health.

With the recent #LikeAGirl campaign from Proctor and Gamble working to inspire girls to be fit and strong, it appears that these two Louisville athletes and leaders may actually be part of a bigger cultural movement focused on changing any negative connotations associated with the "like a girl" phrase. By creating a new definition of what it means to "run like a girl" and "train like a girl," females everywhere are empowered to embrace strength and fitness.

In an effort to help young women become stronger and healthier, Cindy Geer offers a unique program she calls Train Like A Girl at The Training Studio. Designed for girls between 12 and 18 years of age, the program helps young women of all athletic abilities increase their strength, power and core stability, in a fun and supportive environment. Ms. Geer explains: "The Train Like a Girl program is for girls that want to get in shape and feel good about themselves. This is not about being skinny. This is about being fit and strong like a girl. It is about being able to do things for yourself. I am a girl. I am strong, healthy and fit."

Whether she is serving as a mentor to young women considering a career in orthopedic surgery, or working with Assumption High School athletes as the team physician, Dr. Grossfeld is equally passionate about encouraging young women to be fit, strong and capable. She is dedicating February 2015 to Train Like A Girl month with weekly features of inspiring Louisville female athletes published on her sports medicine blog.

The nextTrain Like A Girl session with Cindy Geer kicks off in early March – learn more here: http://thetrainingstudio.com/services-2/train-like-a-girl/. Stay tuned for additional from Dr. Stacie Grossfeld and Ms. Cindy Geer as they continue to develop creative ways to inspire Louisville girls to set high goals for themselves, to believe in their abilities, and to become stronger, healthier, fitter and independent.