ACE and Zumba Announce Global Partnership in Support of New Program Launch, "Strong by Zumba™"

Source: American Council on Exercise

Partnership Provides Valuable Education Benefits for Licensed Zumba® Instructors Worldwide Who Train in New HIIT-Based Program

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - June 23, 2016) - The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and global fitness brand Zumba have formed an exciting partnership designed to elevate and inform the groundbreaking instruction delivered daily by thousands of licensed Zumba®instructors across the world. The partnership will benefit licensed Zumba® instructors who train in Zumba's new group exercise program,STRONG by Zumba™. The highly anticipated, non-dance workout is a music-led, HIIT inspired program that focuses on Synced Music Motivation to deliver an overall body transformation with improved muscular definition and high caloric burn.

By partnering with Zumba, ACE is applying its three decades of science-based research and reputation as the gold standard industry-wide, by giving Zumba Instructors the tools and education to enhance their knowledge and overall teaching. ACE hopes to reinforce the quality and safety of instruction in STRONG by Zumba™ classes, and is offering preferred pricing on its NCCA-accredited Group Fitness Instructor Certification to licensed STRONG by Zumba™ instructors worldwide.

ACE President and CEO Scott Goudeseune remarked, "The opportunity to work so closely with an inspiring fitness brand like Zumba will allow ACE to dramatically increase the reach and impact of our mission. Our hope is that anyone interested in group exercise will be able to enjoy a fitness experience that is fun, effective, memorable and high quality."

"As innovators of education and exercise, we focus on opportunities for instructors in our Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN™) that will expand their knowledge, education and overall fitness journey, as they build their careers within the fitness industry," said Darren Jacobson, SVP of Instructor Programming at Zumba. "Partnerships like this highlight our commitment to continuing education and supporting our instructors with their thirst for knowledge. We have one goal in mind, and that is to aid our community in being successful and inspiring fitness leaders."

The ACE Pro Advantage for Zumba Instructors Study Program is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for both new and veteran instructors, bringing the core concepts of group fitness to life with engaging videos, podcasts, expert-led webinars, and the all-new ACE Group Fitness Instructor Handbook in eBook format. The study program will take participants step-by-step through the theory and practical application of exercise programming, class design, music selection, in-class feedback skills, programming for lower back health, and applying the ACE Integrated Fitness Training® Model to group fitness.

To see more about the partnership, visit ACEfitness.org/zumba. To register and become a STRONG by Zumba™ instructor, visitstrongbyzumba.com.

About Zumba Fitness, LLC
Founded in 2001, Zumba is the largest branded fitness company in the world -- reporting more than 15 million weekly participants, in 200,000 locations, across 186 countries. Known as "exercise in disguise", Zumba® blends contagious world rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography, for an effective, total-body workout that feels more like a party than exercise. In addition to its original Zumba® program, the company offers 10 Zumba® specialty classes -- from aquatic-based to those specifically designed for active older adults and children. In 2016, Zumba launched its first non-dance, HIIT-based workout called STRONG by Zumba™, based on Synced Music Motivation. The Zumba® lifestyle is rounded out by the company's many consumer product offerings, including DVDs, video games and original music, activewear and footwear, nutrition drink line "Zumba Shake Shake Shake™" and interactive Fitness-Concert™ events. For more information about Zumba's programs and products, or to find a live class, visit zumba.com. Visit the ZLife blog and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About ACE
The nonprofit organization American Council on Exercise (ACE) educates, certifies, and represents more than 60,000 currently certified fitness professionals, health coaches and other allied health professionals. ACE advocates for a new intersection of fitness and healthcare, bringing the highly qualified professionals ACE represents into the healthcare continuum so they can contribute to the national solution to physical inactivity and obesity. ACE is the largest certifier in its space and all four of its primary certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the gold standard in the United States for accreditation of certifications that assess professional competence. ACE also plays an important public service role, conducting and providing science-based research and resources on safe and effective physical activity and sustainable behavior change. For more information, call 800-825-3636 or visit ACEfitness.org. AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE, ACE and ACE logos are Registered Trademarks of the American Council on Exercise.