BodyGem Metabolic Analysis
Houston Fitness Consultants is proud to be certified as an ACE-certified Advance Health & Fitness Specialist and will continue to
maintain our position in the fitness industry as leaders in bridging the gap between the health, medical and fitness fields.
Information About ACE Certification
After extensive research, the recommendations and input from many current ACE Clinical Exercise Specialists, and thoughtful
consideration, ACE will offer the final administration of the ACE-CES exam on January 31, 2008, and we will no longer award
certifications designated as ACE-CES after that date.
Because this directly affects you as an ACE-certified Clinical Exercise Specialist, you are the first to learn of this change and
the introduction of the ACE Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification. Beginning February 2008, all currently certified
ACE Clinical Exercise Specialists will be awarded the credential of "Gold Certified" ACE Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist.
Daniel Houston of Houston Fitness Consultants is one of the premier trainers to be awarded the designation. The following
information provides the rationale for these decisions and explains how they will be beneficial to you and your clients.
Why is ACE moving away from CES?
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 other 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. The 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.
To help ensure that ACE certifications stay up-to-date and relevant for fitness professionals and the public they serve, the American Council on Exercise conducts job task analyses called role delineation studies for each of its four certification
programs every five years. The results of these job task analyses serve as templates for the certification examinations and study
materials. ACE recently completed a role delineation study for the Clinical Exercise Specialist (CES) Certification that was
conducted by nine ACE-CES subject matter experts and then validated by 309 current ACE-CES. This was followed by a survey
completed by current ACE-CES regarding the types of clients with whom they work on a regular basis. Read CES survey results.
The results of the role delineation study, the survey, direct feedback and focus groups revealed that the ACE-CES works primarily
with clients who have special needs, most of whom have one or more diseases or disorders that fall into one of the following
categories: cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal. In order to meet the growing demands of these clients and
the advanced fitness professionals providing them with preventative and post-rehabilitative fitness programs, the American Council
on Exercise is excited to introduce the ACE Advanced Fitness Specialist Certification (ACE-AFS).
The ACE Advanced Fitness Specialist Certification is designed to help fitness professionals provide safe and effective programming
for clients who have cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal diseases and/or disorders. It is based on the
recently completed role delineation study for the ACE-CES, exam content outline, and associated feedback, found here:
www.acefitness.org/AFS_examcontent. The first ACE Advanced Fitness Specialist Certification exam will be introduced February 9,
2008, with candidates required to meet the same eligibility requirements as the current ACE-CES exam.
Similar to the ACE Clinical Exercise Specialist Certification, the ACE Advanced Fitness Specialist Certification will provide
fitness professionals with the opportunity to earn an advanced fitness certification that is unparalleled in the industry. The ACE
Advanced Fitness Specialist Certification will provide the only professional fitness certification with extensive programming for
the most common diseases and disorders seen on a regular basis by fitness professionals (cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, and
musculoskeletal). This is an important benefit to the public and the ACE-certified Advanced Fitness Specialist in the form of more
relevant programming, and to allied healthcare in the form of fitness professionals better prepared to provide clients with
preventative and post-rehabilitative fitness programming.
One challenge that has been an obstacle to the ACE Clinical Exercise Specialist Certification is the "clinical" designation in the
name. While the ACE-CES can work with clinical patients under the direction of a licensed medical professional, they do not
provide direct clinical treatment. Unfortunately, this name has created some barriers in working with medical doctors, physical
therapists, registered dietitians, and their respective credentialing organizations. This is a primary motivation behind the
"non-clinical" name of the ACE-AFS program, as the true intent of the ACE-AFS is to provide exercise programming that can help in
the prevention of and rehabilitation from diseases and disorders commonly seen by the advanced fitness professional.
What does this mean for current CES professionals?
As mentioned previously, the ACE Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification will follow the recent ACE-CES role
delineation, exam content outline, and associated studies to meet the current and future needs of advanced fitness professionals
and their clients.
The ACE Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification is designed to open more doors in allied healthcare by better defining
the role of the fitness professional. By clearly establishing our place in allied healthcare, we can enhance the perception of and
respect for fitness professionals working with clients who have special needs.
Millions of americans suffer from chronic disease and even more have received some form of medical rehabilitation for an injury or an illness. Most of these people have something in common-they can enhance their quality of life with a properly designed program of exercise, physical activity, and lifestyle modification. The medical community has often had to "hope for the best" when making the recommendation to initiate a scientifically designed, research based program for their patients. We offer a professional solution. As American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified Clinical Exercise Specialists, Houston Fitness Consultants offers the professional experience, knowledge and credentials to create and implement programs for these individuals. We have amassed thousands of hours in designing productive exercise and activity programs for people suffering from the following chronic conditions and diseases:
- Hypertension
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cancer
- Arthritis
- Low Back Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Obesity
- Osteoporosis
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Diabetes and other debillitating conditions.
Our programs include an introductory meeting, fitness/physical assessment, and an in-depth review of any exclusive information provided by your medical professional. Our experience in program design will ensure a safe, effective, and practical exercise program working within your limitations and promoting maximum safety. Our studio is designed to provide a safe, semi-private environment to help the client feel at ease. Workouts are designed to be educational, efficient, and motivating. We will work in conjunction with your healthcare professionals to design, implement and manage a program designed to reduce your health risks, improve physical conditioning and endurance, strengthen weakened muscles and improve range of motion and joint function, improve cardiovascular condition and function. Our programs will also enhance neuromuscular re-education, proprioreceptive training, and create better balance and flexibility.
All of these benefits improve quality of life, confidence, self esteem, body composition, and help individuals get on track to resume the life they deserve. We offer advanced services centering on maximizing the benefits of exercise, including: Nutrition and Meal planning, Metabolic Testing , Online Continuing Programs, Online Support, Home Fitness Center Design, and we even assist in determining home fitness equipment specific to client needs.
