The influence of the American Council on Exercise® (ACE®) expands beyond the fitness industry. ACE has teamed with a number of organizations to help fulfill our mission of enriching quality of life through safe and effective exercise. Through our many collaborative relationships and public outreach campaigns, we promote the benefits of exercise and an active, healthy lifestyle.
ACE and AARP
AARP is the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over in the United States. With shared missions, both ACE and AARP were interested in providing a service to this population that has been greatly underserved by the fitness industry and who have the means, motivation and desire to enhance their quality of life through physical activity. As a result, ACE teamed with AARP as the provider of personal training services under a fitness program for AARP members. Focused on prevention, the ACE Trainer Program for AARP Members provides information, resources and discounted personal training services to help AARP’s more than 39 million members lead active, healthier lifestyles.
ACE and the American Heart Association (AHA)
New treatments have improved the possibility of survival from cardiovascular emergencies in a fitness setting, particularly with early intervention and greater public access to defibrillators. As fitness professionals never know when they may be called upon to step in during a life-threatening event, ACE joined with the American Heart Association to design the Heartsaver First Aid with CPR and AED Workshop, which teaches fitness professionals to effectively recognize and treat adult emergencies in the critical first minutes until emergency medical services personnel arrive, and how to properly and effectively use an automated external defibrillator (AED). ACE and AHA strongly advocate that all fitness facilities be equipped with an AED and have staff trained in the proper use of this life-saving device.
ACE and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) & International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
The job of fighting fires and responding to emergency situations is one of the most dangerous and physically demanding professions. To help improve the safety, performance and quality of life of uniformed personnel in the fire service, ACE joined with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) to develop a special certificate program, the Peer Fitness Trainer (PFT) Certification. Throughout the United States and Canada, the PFT Certification identifies fire fighters that have demonstrated a certain level of knowledge and skill required to design and implement fitness programs, improve the wellness and fitness of their departments and assist with the physical training of recruits during the physically challenging entry tests.
ACE and the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA)
The ICAA was founded in 2000 on the belief that unifying the efforts of the organizations focused on older adults benefits both the people they reach and the organizations themselves. The ICAA is dedicated to changing the way people age by uniting professionals in the retirement, assisted living, fitness, rehabilitation and wellness fields to dispel society's myths about aging. The ICAA helps these professionals to empower aging Baby Boomers and older adults to improve their quality of life and maintain their dignity. In 2008, ACE joined with the ICAA on a collaborative initiative to help educate fitness and wellness staff working in older adult communities with the latest information and training to develop appropriate exercise programming for this special population.