In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) which educates, certifies and represents fitness professionals, health coaches and wellness experts, reinforces its commitment to ending the nation’s growing obesity epidemic by 2035. ACE says access to well-qualified health and fitness professionals is more important than ever, which is why its steadfast mission aims to evolve the systems and environments that shape the nation’s response to physical inactivity and preventable lifestyle diseases.
Today, 79 million U.S. adults, or more than two-thirds of the population, suffer from obesity according to the Journal of American Medicine, and it’s costing the country more than $147 billion annually. Since its founding in 1985, ACE has watched the health and fitness industry change dramatically. With more than 58,000 certified professionals working in 80 countries, ACE has also evolved from its roots in certification by reaching beyond traditional fitness-space boundaries into the realm of population health, helping people be active and make long-term healthy lifestyle changes.
ACE has done this through a long list of contributions to the space over its 30-year timeline:
- ACE has created four exercise professional certification programs accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) including Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach and Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist; numerous Specialty Certifications, hundreds of continuing education courses, and commissioned many independent studies on popular fitness programs, products and trends to protect the public with sound science.
- ACE serves as a voice for the fitness profession among policy makers and through its Advocacy Center, which helps professionals, allies and potential allies understand important issues that impact the entire healthcare ecosystem.
- In 2013, ACE took a leading role as a founding member of the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals to advance the fitness profession and protect individuals by guaranteeing access to qualified professionals with credentials that match the standards of excellence of other allied health professions.
“We’re proud of the work we’ve done in the last 30 years and of our unwavering commitment to ensure people have access to professionals qualified to provide safe and effective physical activity and behavior modification strategies to help them live their most fit lives,” said ACE President and CEO Scott Goudeseune. “There is still much more work to be done in shaping the nation’s response to reversing obesity and other preventable lifestyle-related diseases—which is why our efforts are more important than ever.”
Looking ahead to the next 30 years, ACE will:
- Increase access to physical activity, nutrition and behavior change programming as preventive services by bridging the gap between fitness and healthcare.
- Continue to serve as a researcher and watchdog for the public by making available science-based, consumer-friendly information and resources, and;
- Advance the healthcare environment by ensuring that well-qualified health and fitness professionals and health coaches can work closely with other members of the healthcare team and provide prevention and wellness intervention services.
For more information about ACE, visit ACEfitness.org or join the conversation onFacebook, Twitter or Instagram.
