ACE Introduces Two New Specialty Certifications

Source: American Council on Exercise

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2013) - Each year people across the globe resolve to lose weight and get healthier, but many lose motivation within the first few months. In an effort to curb that trend, American Council on Exercise (ACE) has introduced two new specialty certifications aimed at giving fitness and allied health professionals the knowledge and skills they need to influence long-term success.

ACE Weight Management and Mind Body specialty certifications help increase the marketability of certified professionals by arming them with expertise to effectively help people impacted by obesity and other health issues.

"These specialty certifications address two of the most common goals people have - weight loss and wellness," said ACE Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant, Ph.D. "With more than two of three adults in the United States struggling with weight, and more than 22.9 million yoga and Pilates participants last year, we believe the knowledge professionals gain with these specialty certifications will help them empower thousands of people to meet their fitness goals."

Becoming a Weight Management Specialist will help fitness and allied health professionals address the needs of their weight loss clients with added knowledge about behavior modification, exercise program design, non-diet weight management, and nutrition strategies.

Curriculum for the specialty certification, introduced in conjunction with Healthy Weight Week (Jan. 20-26) that advocates healthy, diet-free lifestyles, also addresses specific populations including teens and children.

The Mind Body Specialty Certification covers Pilates and its application to exercise programs, traditional yoga movements that address the core and muscle strength, yoga for clients who suffer from body-image issues, yoga for cyclists and how to incorporate mind body exercise when working with senior adults.

"These specialty certifications complement the education and training fitness and allied health professionals already have," Bryant said. "For personal trainers, group fitness instructors and health coaches specifically, they allow them to expand their knowledge in a specific field and stand out in our highly competitive industry."

To earn a specialty certification, fitness and allied health professionals must complete a series of individual courses tailored to each subject. The Weight Management and Mind Body specialty certifications are each equivalent to 2.5 continuing education credits (25 hours of professional development). To find out more about becoming a specialist, visit ACEfitness.org.

About ACE> Since 1985, American Council on Exercise (ACE) has evolved from a small nonprofit dedicated to educating people about proper fitness to a 50,000-strong network of certified Personal Trainers, Group Fitness Instructors, Health Coaches, and Advanced Health and Fitness Specialists. As the largest NCCA-accredited nonprofit fitness certification organization in the world, ACE provides quality continuing education to professionals and conducts independent science-based research to protect all Americans fromunsafe and ineffective products. Our goal is to inspire people to live their most fit lives through free fitness resources including workouts, nutrition information and expert advice. For more information, call (800) 825-3636 or visit ACEfitness.org.