Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification

Cedric Bryant, PhD, Chief Science Officer for the American Council on Exercise® introduces you to the Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification.

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Study Wizard

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Colleges & Universities

Looking for a college, university or vocational school that offers courses that prepare students for earning an ACE certification? Discover which institutions offer the ACE curriculum and host exams.

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Military Programs

Financial assistance programs through the G.I. Bill and MyCAA are available to Active Duty military, activated National Guard and Reserves, veterans and military spouses worldwide for earning ACE fitness certifications.

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Exam Preparation Blog

Get study tips and gain insight, motivation and confidence from staff here at ACE and learn from others currently studying for the ACE certification exam.

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Become an ACE-certified Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist

Fitness professionals have traditionally been limited to working with the “apparently healthy” category of individuals. Unfortunately, the number of overweight and obese individuals in the U.S. continues to increase at a time when our population is also getting older. Coupled with inactivity, poor dietary choices and related health factors, the result is an ever-increasing number of individuals who are at risk for or recovering from cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and a variety of orthopedic issues. An advanced fitness professional plays a crucial role in the allied healthcare continuum by helping these individuals to decrease risk factors and improve health and fitness following rehabilitation.

Becoming an ACE-certified Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist will prepare you to provide extensive programming for the most common diseases and disorders seen on a regular basis by fitness professionals. In addition, this credential addresses advanced programming for older adults, youth and pre- and post-natal women. This is an incredible opportunity that has been largely ignored and the possibilities for growth and professional recognition are virtually untapped.

Upon successful completion of the ACE Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification Exam, you will have demonstrated the ability to apply your knowledge of:

• Psychological aspects of working with clients with health challenges
• Biomechanical and physiological impact of many diseases, disorders and ailments
• Exercise programming and progressions related to:
  • Major cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and disorders
  • Metabolic diseases and disorders
  • Musculoskeletal disorders
  • Older adults, youth and pre- and post-natal clients

 

Am I Eligible to Be an ACE-certified Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist?

To take the Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist Certification Exam:

• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• You must hold a current adult CPR and AED certificate.
  • You may sit for the live pencil and paper exam without proof of CPR and AED; however, you will not receive your results until you provide current CPR and AED information.
  • You must have a current CPR and AED certificate when registering for the computer-based exam that does not expire prior to the exam date.
  • CPR and AED certificates must include a live skills check component. Online only certificates, without a live skills check, are not accepted.
  • ACE exam candidates outside of the United States and Canada are required to hold only a current CPR certificate due to differing international laws regarding AED usage.
• You must hold a current ACE Personal Trainer certification or Lifestyle & Weight Management certification; or an NCCA-accredited personal trainer or advanced fitness related certification; or have a four-year (Bachelor’s) degree in an Exercise Science or related field at the time of registration and submit supporting documentation
  • Exam candidates holding degrees in Nutrition, Nursing or Health may be required to submit documentation supporting completion of Exercise Science-related coursework at the time of registration.
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• You must have 300 hours of work experience designing and implementing exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and/or high-risk individuals, as documented by a qualified professional
  • Documentation must be provided by one of the preferred methods:
    1. Verification provided by a qualified allied health professional—This verification can come from former/current employers, supervisors, colleagues or other allied health professionals with whom you work or collaborate.
    2. Verification provided via pay stubs showing personal training hours or copies of weekly training schedules or similar records of training hours—You should not provide any training records the include information (e.g. client names) that would breach a client’s confidentiality and should remove any personal information that you would want to protect (e.g. social security number).
  • Self-employed fitness professionals who cannot provide the preferred documentation may provide letters from long time clients that document the length of time and approximate number of accumulated hours they have been trained by you.
   at the time of registration.

 

Professional Benefits

Holding an Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification from the world's largest nonprofit fitness certification organization has its perks. From the credibility you receive with this NCCA-accredited credential to exclusive discounts on products like liability insurance you’ll enjoy a wide variety of professional benefits.

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I’m Ready! Where Do I Start?

We’ll help guide you along these steps to become an Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist.

1. Buy your study materials.
2. Study for the exam.
3. Register for the exam.
4. Take the exam.

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Additional Resources

Career Salary

Nearly 3,000 people answered our 2010 Salary Survey, providing an intriguing glimpse into the fitness industry.

 

ACE-certified Success Stories

These tales of triumph and dedication will motivate and encourage you on your personal journey to a successful career in the fitness industry!

 

ACE Code of Ethics

ACE-certified professionals are guided by the American Council on Exercise's principles of professional conduct.

 

ACE's Position Statement on Nutritional Supplements

While ACE states it is outside the defined scope of practice of a fitness professional to recommend, prescribe, sell, or supply nutritional supplements to clients, learn more through this official position statement.