Press Room

Cedric X. Bryant Reveals His Focus for American Council on Exercise as He Steps into CEO Role on July 1

Posted: Jul 01, 2024 in ACE Press Releases

San Diego, Calif., July 1, 2024 – With more than three decades in the health and fitness industry, Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., FACSM, assumes his new role today as chief executive officer of the American Council on Exercise (ACE). His focus will include science-backed education to support health and exercise professionals, utilizing emerging fitness technology, championing inclusivity and diversity, and sharing quality information to help all people develop long-term healthy habits and keep people moving.  

In his role as CEO, Bryant will continue his mission of igniting positive change in the industry to equip health and exercise professionals to help people to lead longer, healthier lives with the following priorities:  

• Emphasizing science-backed education to ensure that exercise professionals, health coaches, partners and communities have access to trusted, reliable information.  
• Leveraging new technology like AI to help health and fitness professionals seamlessly interact with and support individuals and communities who are in pursuit of long-term sustainable health goals. 
• Championing equity and accessibility to overcome barriers and get all people moving, while offering health and fitness professionals education and training in the areas of diversity and inclusion.     
• Helping people adopt and maintain healthy habits and positive lifestyle choices rather than fitness trends and fads not backed by sound science or research.   

Since its founding nearly 40 years ago, ACE has had a simple mission: To get people moving. As one of the largest health and fitness non-profit organizations in the world, ACE represents and certifies 90,000+ health and fitness professionals across the US and around the globe. 

“I am so grateful to be part of an organization that is truly making a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” Bryant said. “Looking ahead, on the eve of our 40th anniversary, the possibilities are endless for ACE to contribute in positive ways to this ever-changing industry. Health is one thing that unites everyone. Regardless of the many things that make us feel different or separate, we all deserve to be healthy.”   

Bryant joined ACE in 2001 and was most recently its president and chief science officer. Bryant has authored more than 300 articles, co-authored or edited more than 40 books, and is frequently cited in multiple publications, including the New York Times and the U.S. News and World Report. He has also shared his expertise as an advisory board member for numerous organizations, including the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. 

  

###

About the American Council on Exercise

Since 1985, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) has been the leading non-profit education and certification provider for health coaches and exercise professionals in the United States and around the world.

With more than 90,000 highly respected certified health coaches and exercise professionals, ACE Certified Professionals are on the ground daily helping people move, stay active and make lasting lifestyle behavior changes to build healthier communities.

Headquartered in San Diego, ACE collaborates with public health partners to educate people of all backgrounds about the importance of physical activity and other healthy lifestyle behaviors; advocates for public policies to increase physical activity opportunities; and supports scientific research that investigates the efficacy of behavior-change interventions and the effectiveness of exercise practices and trends. Learn more at www.acefitness.org.