ACE | Fitness Business Association

About ACE

Since 1985, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) has been the leading non-profit education and certification provider for health coaches and exercise professionals in the United States and worldwide. ACE is an ISO 17024 accredited certification organization, and ACE’s certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). With more than 90,000 highly respected certified health coaches and exercise professionals, ACE Certified Professionals are on the ground daily helping people move, stay active and make lasting lifestyle behavior change to build healthier communities.

Headquartered in San Diego, ACE collaborates with public health partners to educate people of all backgrounds about the importance of physical activity and other healthy lifestyle behaviors; advocates for public policies to increase physical activity opportunities; and supports scientific research that investigates the efficacy of behavior-change interventions and the effectiveness of exercise practices and trends. For more information, visit acefitness.org/about-
ace/. AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE, ACE and ACE logos are Registered Trademarks of the American Council on Exercise.

History

The respect and recognition of ACE certification programs is truly global. Since 2003, our four primary certification programs have been accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and in 2022, we received the accreditation for ACE's four primary certifications (personal trainer, group fitness instructor, health coach, and certified medical exercise specialist) under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17024 Accreditation Standard. The ACE Personal Trainer and ACE Group Fitness Instructor Certification Programs are also recognized by the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs).

ACE in the Fitness Community

A foundational component of our approach to getting people moving is the certification of well-qualified exercise professionals and health coaches. With every professional we certify, the impact of evidence-based exercise programming and health coaching provided by ACE Certified Professionals becomes more widespread. ACE is an enthusiastic supporter and leader of more than 90,000 currently certified exercise professionals and health coaches who hold over 100,000 ACE Certifications and inspire communities around the world in getting and staying physically active.