Press Room

ACE Expands Health Coaching Market Share Through Acquisition of Dr. Sears Wellness Institute  

Posted: Sep 07, 2022 in ACE Press Releases

San Diego, Sept. 7, 2022 – Today, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) announced an expansion of its health coaching education and training via the acquisition of the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute (DSWI). DSWI will join ACE as part of a new division, ACE Health and Wellness. This new division is unprecedented for ACE and cements its role as a leader in the health coaching industry.  

“We are proud to be joining forces with DSWI to grow the field of health coaching,” said Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D. FACSM ACE president and chief science officer. “DSWI has an outstanding reputation and is well respected in allied health and healthcare, where there is tremendous growth opportunity for lifestyle behavior change education and training.” 

Dr. Bryant will oversee the new ACE Health and Wellness division with former President and CEO of DSWI, Bob Hodgin. Mr. Hodgin will lead day-to-day operations as ACE Health and Wellness Executive Vice President.  

“DSWI is proud to join a mission-driven organization like ACE who has been committed to health and wellness coaching for over twenty years,” said Bob Hodgin. The expertise and breadth of resources that will now be available to both our DSWI and ACE health and wellness coaches is unparalleled in this growing industry.”  

Since 2003, ACE has been a leader in the health coaching industry and was the first organization to have a National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) health coach certification. In 2021, the ACE become recognized by the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching as an approved education provider. Through the acquisition of DSWI, ACE will grow its number of actively certified health coaches from 8,000 to more than 15,000. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are five behaviors that are essential for preventing chronic disease. They include not smoking, getting in regular physical activity, consuming moderate amounts of alcohol or none at all, maintaining a normal body weight, and obtaining sufficient daily sleep. The CDC has reported that only 6.3 percent of Americans engage in all five of these health-promoting behaviors. Health coaches play a critical role in empowering individuals to make meaningful and lasting lifestyle behavior changes.  

“Growing our health coach education and training through the acquisition of DSWI is an exciting new chapter for ACE,” said Scott Goudeseune, ACE chief executive officer. “It is my hope that by drawing upon the expertise and experience of DSWI, we will be able to deliver the highest quality education available to current and future health coaches to help them have a greater public health impact.”   

 

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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. 

For more information visit www.acefitness.org/about-ace/. AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE, ACE and ACE logos are Registered Trademarks of the American Council on Exercise.