Fitness program GoGirlGo! hopes to get 1 million inactive girls going

USA TODAY

Peer pressure. Low self-esteem. Fear of competition.
These are just a few of the reasons fitness experts give for why some girls don't strap on a pair of running shoes, pick up a tennis racket or unroll a yoga mat.

To counter those obstacles, the non-profit Women's Sports Foundation, founded 30 years ago by tennis legend Billie Jean King, is trying to get girls ages 8 to 18 exercised about exercise.

The program, called GoGirlGo!, is rooted in government and medical statistics that link inactivity to increasing rates of obesity and other health problems, including breast cancer and osteoporosis, and escalating health costs.

"The inactivity of youngsters has long-term consequences we can't ignore," says Donna Lopiano, foundation executive director.

During the three-year initiative, the foundation hopes to get 1 million girls active and keep another 1 million girls from stopping their activity. The program will track their participation.

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