American Council On Exercise

THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE IS COMMITTED TO GETTING PEOPLE MOVING.

CERTIFICATION AND PREPARATORY EDUCATION:THE CERTIFICATION OF WELL-QUALIFIED EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS AND HEALTH COACHES IS THE FOUNDATION OF ACE'S APPROACH TO GET PEOPLE MOVING. ACE DEVELOPS, REVIEWS, AND MAINTAINS ACE CERTIFICATION EXAMS, STUDY MATERIALS AND TRAINING MANUALS. IN 2022, THERE WERE MORE THAN 90,000 ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS WHO HELD MORE THAN 100,000 CERTIFICATIONS. THESE PROFESSIONALS ARE LOCATED ACROSS THE WORLD IN MORE THAN 115 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.IN THE 2022 CALENDAR YEAR, THE NUMBER OF ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 63,000 ACE CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINERS; 21,000 ACE CERTIFIED GROUP FITNESS INSTRUCTORS; 7,000 ACE CERTIFIED HEALTH COACHES; AND 900 ACE CERTIFIED MEDICAL EXERCISE SPECIALISTS. COLLECTIVELY, ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS HELD APPROXIMATELY 57 MILLION CLIENT SESSIONS IN 2022.IN 2022, ACE EXPANDED ITS HEALTH COACHING EDUCATION AND TRAINING VIA THE ACQUISITION OF SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE ASSETS OF THE LEAN GROUP, LLC DBA DR. SEARS WELLNESS INSTITUTE.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROMOTION:ACE REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE PUBLIC, FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS, AND CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS WITH FREE, SCIENCE-BASED CONTENT TO SUPPORT MORE ACTIVE LIFESTYLES. IN 2022, ACE GENERATED MORE THAN 160 UNIQUE NEWS STORIES THAT WERE CITED IN MORE THAN 4,500 ARTICLES. ACE HAD MORE THAN 5 MILLION UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS VISIT THE ACE WEBSITE AND BLOGS IN 2022.ACE ALSO PARTNERED WITH LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. SOME OF THESE PARTNERS INCLUDE THE CDC'S ACTIVE PEOPLE HEALTHY NATION INITIATIVE, ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION, PARKINSON'S FOUNDATION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ALLIANCE (PAA), AND THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY RESEARCH AND EVALUATION NETWORK (PAPREN). THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS, ACE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS PROFESSIONALS AND ORGANIZATIONS NATIONWIDE WITH TIPS AND IDEAS TO HELP INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.COVID-19:IN 2022, ACE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND ADVICE ABOUT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND COVID. THESE ARTICLE TOPICS INCLUDED THE LINK BETWEEN PHYSICAL INACTIVITY AND COVID- 19 OUTCOMES AND COLLABORATIVE ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY CLOSURES AND REGULATIONS.ADVOCACY:ACE CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SUPPORT FOR FITNESS PROFESSIONALS. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDED COLLABORATIVE UNDERTAKINGS WHICH SOUGHT INCREASED FOCUS ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ITS BENEFITS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, LEGISLATION TO REDUCE COST BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY NATIONWIDE, AND AN ADVOCACY AWARENESS COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN CALLED "MOVING TOGETHER OUTSIDE," WHICH AIMED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF SHARED-USE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN FITNESS PROFESSIONALS AND PARK OWNERS, SO ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR PHYSICAL OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE CREATED. IN 2022, ACE WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ALLIANCE, AN ORGANIZATION THAT STRIVES TO MAKE THE ACTIVE CHOICE THE EASY CHOICE, TO AMPLIFY COLLABORATIVE ADVOCACY APPROACHES TO ENCOURAGE INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND IMPROVED HEALTH FOR AMERICANS.EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:IN 2022, ACE DEVELOPED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, HOSTED PUBLIC DIALOGUES, AND SECURED MEDIA PLACEMENTS TO ELEVATE THE EDI DISCUSSION IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY. ACE ALSO PARTNERED WITH LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE, DIVERSE, AND INCLUSIVE HEALTH AND FITNESS INDUSTRY AND INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY TO THE ACE WEBSITE.IN ADDITION TO DEVELOPING COURSES FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND FITNESS BUSINESS OWNERS, ACE HOSTED MULTIPLE PUBLIC DIALOGUES, WITH TOPICS INCLUDING "BLACK HISTORY MONTH: PUBLIC HEALTH AND EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS, AND PLACES OF WORSHIP AND "LGBTQIA+ YOUTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY." ACE WAS ALSO FEATURED IN MEDIA ARTICLES ABOUT EDI AND THE FITNESS INDUSTRY IN PUBLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL OUTLETS (E.G., U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, SELF, MARIE CLAIRE) AND INDUSTRY-RELATED OUTLETS (E.G., CLUB INDUSTRY, A SWEAT LIFE, THE HEALTH PROJECT PODCAST).IN 2022, ACE ALSO CONVENED ITS FIRST EDI COUNCIL, AN INTERNAL EMPLOYEE-LED GROUP OF 10-12 STAFF MEMBERS WHO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ACE LEADERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE PLANNING AND EVALUATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO EDI.

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND RENEWALS:ACE DEVELOPED AND UPDATED APPROXIMATELY 40 EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND COURSES IN 2022, INCLUDING THE SIZE CLUSIVE FITNESS SPECIALIST PROGRAM AND THE ACE GROUP FITNESS INSTRUCTOR STUDY PROGRAM UPDATE.ACE ALSO LAUNCHED A SUITE OF ACE LIFECYCLE CAREER SUPPORT TOOLS INCLUDING ACE PRO COMPASS, ACE PRO CONNECT APP AND THE ACE JOB BOARD. EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS AND HEALTH COACHES ARE ABLE TO RENEW THEIR CERTIFICATIONS WITH ACE THROUGH CONTENT BY ACE AND ITS APPROVED PARTNERS.IN 2022, ACE STRENGTHENED ITS FOCUS ON EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (EDI) BY OFFERING MULTIPLE NEW COURSES TO HELP EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS SUPPORT AND WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO MAY HAVE DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, ABILITIES, IDENTITIES, AND BODY SIZES. ACE ALSO HOSTED MULTIPLE EDI-RELATED DISCUSSIONS ON FACEBOOK LIVE, ZOOM, AND TWITTER RADIO TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE, SUCH AS "RECOGNIZING RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS AND CREATING AN INCLUSIVE HEALTH AND FITNESS SPACE." ACE'S KEYSTONE ONLINE EDI COURSE, TAKING ACTION WITH ACE, IS OFFERED TO ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS FOR FREE AND WAS AWARDED THE BRANDON HALL GROUP AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE BEST ADVANCE IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INNOVATION CATEGORY.ACE ALSO OFFERS EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS AND HEALTH COACHES THE OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW THEIR CERTIFICATION. ACE PARTNERS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO PROVIDE ACE- APPROVED EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS. CERTIFICATION RENEWALS AND ACE-APPROVED PARTNER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES HELP CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS REMAIN INFORMED AND QUALIFIED TO SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY LEAD INDIVIDUALS TO HEALTHLIER AND MORE ACTIVE LIVES.

RESEARCH:ACE CONTINUES TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH SCIENCE-BASED INFORMATION TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE HEALTH CHANGES. IN 2022, ACE INVESTED MORE THAN $100,000 INTO ORIGINAL RESEARCH, INCLUDING A STUDY WHICH REVIEWED DEVELOPMENTAL AND HEALTH MEASURES COMPARED ACROSS SEX, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND URBAN/RURAL LOCATION. IN ADDITION, ACE PARTNERED WITH MORE THAN 30 ORGANIZATIONS, ADVOCACTED FOR FITNESS PROFESSIONALS AND INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC, AND DEVELOPED MULTIPLE COURSES, EVENTS, AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT INCREASED EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY. ACE ALSO CONTINUED ITS #ACESCIENCESATURDAY SOCIAL MEDIA SERIES, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS RECENT RESEARCH AND SHARES HOW CURRENT FITNESS PROFESSIONALS CAN APPLY SCIENCE INTO THEIR DAILY SESSIONS WITH CLIENTS.