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American Council on Exercise and 3 WINS Fitness Partnership Brings Free Exercise Classes to Communities Across Los Angeles County

Posted: Apr 02, 2018 in ACE Press Releases

Hundreds of community members to join massive group fitness class to celebrate the program’s success on April 18

San Diego, CA, April 2, 2018—On April 18, hundreds of people from Los Angeles’ low-resource communities will gather in El Cariso Community Regional Park with one mission in mind: movement. They come to join a massive group fitness class in celebration of a nonprofit partnership that has provided their communities access to affordable, healthy physical activity.

Through this partnership, American Council on Exercise (ACE), a nonprofit certifier of health coaches and exercise professionals, helps 3 WINS Fitness, a California State University, Northridge Kinesiology (CSUN) Department, develop and expand a community exercise program  so they can provide free classes in vulnerable communities. ACE’s partnership provides the physical-activity instructors who, all kinesiology students who are interns or volunteers for 3 WINS, with hands-on training to effectively teach the fitness classes and build careers as community health leaders. In 2017, ACE trained 76 group-fitness instructors from 3 WINS, equipping them to provide members of L.A. communities with physical-activity experiences that are fun, worthy of returning to, and worthy of sharing with friends, neighbors and family members.

On April 18, members of public health agencies and local politicians will join hundreds of community members in one group exercise celebration. The workout will kick off a summit to bring community partners together to discuss the future expansion of the program throughout Los Angeles County, and the results of a study on how community workouts and health education affect participants with diabetes.

"ACE's partnership with 3 WINS Fitness helps us fulfill our mission to get all people moving, regardless of age, gender, race or socioeconomic background," says ACE Chief Science Officer Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D. "We're expanding access to healthy movement experiences in the communities that need it most while providing future health and fitness leaders with the education, training and certification they need to go on into careers in pursuit of the goal of increasing physical-activity status in the U.S."

3 WINS Fitness offers free weekly exercise classes with 30 to 90 community members participating per week at local parks and churches. Class participants live in communities that generally lack access to affordable options for physical activity. Through healthcare partnerships, community members are also provided with free biomedical screenings, as well as, education on preventing and treating chronic disease. With new access to healthy physical-activity opportunities, some participants have been able to cease taking blood pressure medication, reverse Type 2 diabetes and develop the skills to build lifelong healthy habits.

Steven Loy, Ph.D., CSUN professor and creator of 3 WINS Fitness, says, "Thanks to our partnership with ACE, we now have a scalable model we can replicate across the country. This partnership has proven that our student-lead model only needs a one-time infusion of funds to build a program that enriches community health indefinitely. In healthcare savings alone, a single investment by a healthcare agency or government entity can provide a massive return."

Jazmyn Jasso, an ACE-Certified 3 WINS Fitness Program Manager says, "I have helped open new program locations from the San Fernando Valley to South Los Angeles. As part of my thesis, I introduced 3 WINS Fitness to other Kinesiology programs in San Luis Obispo and San Bernardino County with the hopes of continuing to improve community health throughout California. [3 WINS Fitness] not only empowers students to become health professionals but also empowers communities by providing education, resources, and programming."

Seventy-eight percent of American adults do not meet the U.S. government's national physical activity recommendations, and physical-inactivity related diseases like heart disease and diabetes affect billions of people worldwide. As part of its mission to get people moving, ACE makes physical activity more accessible with evidence-based research, community partnerships and by certifying more exercise professionals with the evidence-based, accredited certification they need to lead people to active, healthy lives. Through initiatives like ACE’s partnership with 3WINS, ACE has grown its family of active ACE-Certified health coaches and exercise professionals to more than 80,000.

To RSVP to the April 18 summit and celebration as a member of the media, please contact angela@gomixte.com.

To learn more about how you can contribute to ACE’s partnership with 3 WINS Fitness, contact donations@acefitness.org.

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About ACE

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization with global reach that works to improve physical-activity levels by certifying exercise professionals and health coaches, publishing original research, convening experts on physical activity and health, working directly with community groups, and advocating for policies to get people from all walks of life moving. The 80,000 exercise professionals and health coaches certified by ACE are among the most respected in the world of fitness, helping people embrace physical activity and adopt a healthier lifestyle. 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.