Transform your life, and the lives of others.

Evolve your career with the ACE Health Coach Certification and learn the science and skills to support meaningful and lasting lifestyle change for those you are called to serve.

As an ACE Certified Health Coach, you'll expand your skillset and move your career forward-enabling you to help people while earning additional income. You'll also gain greater flexibility to work with others when and how you want, including even virtually by phone or video.

Help end the health crisis in our midst.

The prevalence of chronic, inactivity-related diseases is on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in two people in the U.S. has at least one chronic health condition-such as heart disease, cancer, hypertension, diabetes or obesity-and one in four adults has two or more chronic health conditions.

As a health coach, you can help do your part by empowering clients to adopt and sustain healthy lifestyle behaviors that prevent, mitigate and even reverse chronic diseases.

See how you can make a difference as a health coach.

WHAT ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING

"ACE has an excellent reputation. Knowing that the health coaching certification was NCCA-accredited was very important to me. I am very satisfied with the variety of education offered by ACE, and will continue to complete the bulk of my continuing education through them, while encouraging my colleagues in the field to do the same!"

Marianna Cardozo Marianna C.
ACE Certified Health Coach
WHAT ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING

"The ACE Health Coach study experience was simple and engaging—I love how all the material is rooted in behavior change. Physiology is interesting but can be presented as a dry subject. I did not feel this way with the ACE Health Coach Study Program and I always looked forward to the curriculum."

Stephanie Hendy Stephanie H.
ACE Certified Health Coach
WHAT ACE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING

"My ACE Certification provides me serious credibility. There are so many people calling themselves 'coaches' out there but they’re lacking the credentials. ACE allows me to put my clients’ minds at ease knowing I'm trained, educated and credible. I am so proud to be ACE Certified!"

Niki Campbell Niki C.
ACE Certified Health Coach

A new approach to becoming a health coach

The ACE Health Coach Certification is the only health coach certification accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), considered the gold standard in health and fitness. Prepare to become an ACE Certified Health Coach with the new ACE Health Coach study and training program. Rooted in behavior-change science and the principles of lifestyle medicine, the study and training program addresses all the core competencies of health coaching within a single learning experience. You will learn practical and effective strategies that can be implemented to facilitate lifestyle change and positively impact health and well-being.

This study and training program is for exercise professionals and even those in the clinical setting who want to learn and practice active listening, motivational interviewing, and client-centered goal-setting as powerful tools to help others take charge of their health.

Discover how you can become an ACE Certified Health Coach.

Choose your Health Coach Study Program

With the all-new ACE Health Coach Study Program, you will have the tools to spark positive lifestyle change with your clients. Learn the art and science of health coaching through this comprehensive program. Featuring our new textbook, The Professional's Guide to Health and Wellness Coaching, and the new ACE University (ACE U) Learning Center you will gain strategies and techniques that can immediately be put into practice.

Take the first step in making movement your mission by choosing a study program for your ACE Health Coach Certification Exam. Make sure you meet all prerequisite requirements prior to sitting for your exam.

ACE Certified Professionals: Take 20% off retail prices!

Plus

$749

The most popular and comprehensive study and training program we offer. Enjoy everything in the Basic Study Program, plus hard copy and audiobook versions of our textbook.

Ideal for the candidate seeking the most robust study experience or who has little to no knowledge of health coaching principles or little to no experience in healthcare.

Learn more

Basic

$599

A self-guided study and training program with the foundational material you need to prepare for the exam. Receive two ebooks and access to ACE Answers, our self-serve resource center featuring a wide range of online study materials.

Best suited for the candidate with deep knowledge of health coaching principles or extensive experience in healthcare.

Learn more

Compare Study Programs

ACE Health Coach Exam Requirements

To sit for the ACE Health Coach Certification Exam, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Hold a current adult CPR and AED certificate including live skills check*
  • Present a current government-issued photo ID with signature (driver’s license, passport or military ID)

You must also SUBMIT proof of at least ONE of the following:

  1. Current NCCA-accredited certification† in fitness, nutrition, healthcare, wellness, human resources or a related field
  2. An associate degree or higher from an accredited college or university in fitness, exercise science, nutrition, healthcare, wellness or a related field
  3. A completed health coach training and education program approved by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC)‡
  4. A minimum of two years of documented work experience in coaching, leading, designing, implementing, or facilitating one or more of the following: behavior or lifestyle change, exercise, wellness, nutrition, or physical activity

*CPR and AED certificates are both required in the U.S. and Canada. Candidates outside the U.S. and Canada are only required to hold a current CPR certificate due to differing international laws regarding AED use by non-medical professionals. Candidates taking an ACE exam via computer-based testing must obtain a current CPR/AED certificate prior to registration. †A list of NCCA-accredited certification programs can be found at: credentialingexcellence.org ‡A list of NBHWC-approved training and education programs can be found at: nbhwc.org/approved-programs Note: Candidates must submit supporting documentation of current NCCA-accredited certifications, degrees and/or work experience prior to registering for the ACE Health Coach exam.

Pre-approval Process

Candidates must submit supporting documentation of current NCCA-accredited certifications, degrees and/or work experience prior to registering for the ACE Health Coach exam.

Submit Pre-Approval Documents

If you have any questions, please email us at credentialing@acefitness.org.

THE ACE STUDY EXPERIENCE

Art and science of health coaching, redefined

The ACE Health Coach training and study program is an entirely new approach to educating and training future health coaches in both the theory and the art of behavior-change coaching. It combines tools to prepare you for the certification exam with real-world training to guide you along an integrated path to a new career as a health coach.

The ACE University (ACE U) Learning Center will help you prepare for your ACE Health Coach Certification Exam with confidence! This guided training experience will lead you seamlessly through the ACE Health Coach Study Program, with study materials carefully divided into convenient, digestible lessons. ACE U includes online videos, simulated coaching sessions, practice tests and an audiobook, all built to enhance comprehension and empower you to move through the study experience as efficiently and effectively as possible.

ACE U includes:

  • Video lectures
  • ACE in Action: video coaching sessions
  • ACE in Action: audio coaching sessions
  • Knowledge checks
  • Quizzes
  • Practice tests
  • Audiobook

Our all-new textbook, The Professional's Guide to Health and Wellness Coaching, serves as a study tool, a comprehensive information resource and a career guide. This textbook thoughtfully blends the art and science of behavior change with an in-depth understanding of the powerful role lifestyle medicine plays in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. By providing a more complete picture of the knowledge, skills and professional responsibilities of health coaches, this textbook functions as a trusted career resource that can be utilized by any current or future professional.

The Professional's Guide to Health and Wellness Coaching Study Companion complements the online study program and serves as an additional study tool that you can refer to throughout the program. Use it to practice the concepts studied in each chapter, and refer to it to conveniently review the information offered in the program.

Each ACE Health Coach Study Program comes with an exam voucher for you to take your certification exam. Find an exam location.

Have a study question? Check out ACE Answers, our self-serve resource center, which features videos, commonly asked questions, study tips and more from our expert ACE Study Coaches.

APPROVED ORGANIZATIONS

The ACE Health Coach Certification is approved by the following organizations for continuing education hours:

15 CEUs
25 CEUs
General Category
25 Contact Hours
25 CPEUs
1.9 CEUs
7 CEUs
25 CECs
2 CECs