American Council On Exercise

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

CERTIFICATION, 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 THE 2021 CALENDAR YEAR, THE NUMBER OF ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 68,000 ACE CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINERS; 22,000 ACE CERTIFIED GROUP FITNESS INSTRUCTORS; 8,000 ACE CERTIFIED HEALTH COACHES; AND 900 ACE CERTIFIED MEDICAL EXERCISE SPECIALISTS. COLLECTIVELY, ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS HELD APPROXIMATELY 57.8 MILLION CLIENT SESSIONS IN 2021.

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND RENEWALS:ACE DEVELOPED AND UPDATED APPROXIMATELY 40 EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND COURSES IN 2021, INCLUDING ACE HEALTH COACH ADVANCED TRAINING PROGRAM, ACE SENIOR FITNESS SPECIALIST PROGRAM, AND TAKING ACTION WITH ACE: PRACTICING EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION AS A FITNESS PROFESSIONAL. ACE ALSO DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED ACE PRO COMPASS, A TOOL TO HELP EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS NAVIGATE THEIR CAREER THROUGH CURATED CONTENT AND RESOURCES THAT HELP THEM DEFINE, DEVELOP AND REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS AND HEALTH COACHES ARE ABLE TO RENEW THEIR CERTIFICATIONS WITH ACE THROUGH CONTENT BY ACE AND ITS APPROVED PARTNERS.

OUTREACH: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 2021, ACE INVESTED MORE THAN $100,000 INTO ORIGINAL RESEARCH, REACHED MORE THAN 825 MILLION INDIVIDUALS WORLDWIDE IN ITS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROMOTION, PARTNERED WITH MORE THAN 30 ORGANIZATIONS, ADVOCATED 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.

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 CERTICIATION EXAMS, STUDY MATERIALS AND TRAINING MANUALS. IN 2021, 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 2021 CALENDAR YEAR, THE NUMBER OF ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 68,000 ACE CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINERS; 22,000 ACE CERTIFIED GROUP FITNESS INSTRUCTORS; 8,000 ACE CERTIFIED HEALTH COACHES; AND 900 ACE CERTIFIED MEDICAL EXERCISE SPECIALISTS. COLLECTIVELY, ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS HELD APPROXIMATELY 57.8 MILLION CLIENT SESSIONS IN 2021.CONTINUING EDUCATION AND RENEWALS:ACE DEVELOPED AND UPDATED APPROXIMATELY 40 EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND COURSES IN 2021, INCLUDING ACE HEALTH COACH ADVANCED TRAINING PROGRAM, ACE SENIOR FITNESS SPECIALIST PROGRAM, AND TAKING ACTION WITH ACE: PRACTICING EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION AS A EXERCISE PROFESSIONAL. ACE ALSO DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED ACE PRO COMPASS, A TOOL TO HELP EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS NAVIGATE THEIR CAREER THROUGH CURATED CONTENT AND RESOURCES THAT HELP THEM DEFINE, DEVELOP AND REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THIS INTERACTIVE TOOL REFLECTS ACE'S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING PROFESSIONALS FROM THEIR INITIAL CERTIFICATION TO RETIREMENT.IN 2021, 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. ACE'S KEYSTONE ONLINE EDI COURSE, TAKING ACTION WITH ACE, IS OFFERED TO ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS FOR FREE. MORE THAN 3,400 PROFESSIONALS COMPLETED THIS COURSE WITHIN THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF ITS LAUNCH IN JULY 2021.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 HEALTHIER AND MORE ACTIVE LIVES.RESEARCH:IN 2021, ACE INVESTED MORE THAN $100,000 INTO ORIGINAL STUDIES CONDUCTED BY UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS. STUDIES IN 2021 FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON BEHAVIOR CHANGE INTERVENTIONS AND THEIR RATES OF SUCCESS IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS AS WELL AS RESEARCH ON THE EFFICACY OF SELECTING TRAINING MODALITIES AND FRAMEWORKS.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.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 2021, ACE GENERATED MORE THAN 300 UNIQUE NEWS STORIES THAT REACHED MORE THAN 825 MILLION INDIVIDUALS GLOBALLY. WITH ACE'S CONTENT STRATEGY, MORE THAN 6.1 MILLION UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS VISITED THE ACE WEBSITE AND ENGAGED WITH ACE ON ITS 6 DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.ACE ALSO PARTNERED WITH LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. SOME OF THESE PARTNERS INCLUDE THE WOMEN IN FITNESS ASSOCIATION (WIFA), 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 2021, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUED, AND ACE PROVIDED FITNESS PROFESSIONALS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH RESOURCES TO STAY HEALTHY. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDED BLOGS WITH ADVICE FOR EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS, PLACED NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT 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 AND BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDE 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. THE MOVING TOGETHER OUTSIDE CAMPAIGN SIGNED ON NEARLY 30 ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS AND OVER 120 INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS.EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:IN 2021, 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. IN ADDITION TO DEVELOPING COURSES FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND FITNESS BUSINESS OWNERS, ACE HOSTED MULTIPLE PUBLIC DIALOGUES, WITH TOPICS INCLUDING "COVID-19: HEALTH EQUITY, PUBLIC HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY," "LGBTQIA+ IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY," "HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEADERS, AND "IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY." ACE WAS ALSO FEATURED IN 5 MEDIA ARTICLES ABOUT EDI AND THE FITNESS INDUSTRY IN PUBLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL OUTLETS (E.G., U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT), LOCAL OUTLETS (E.G., THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE), AND INDUSTRY-RELATED OUTLETS (E.G., CLUB INDUSTRY).