American Council on Exercise (ACE) Facilitates Contribution of One Million Hours of Fitness Training Services to National Guard & Military Reservists and Their Families

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's leading authority on fitness, today announced its commitment to Joining Forces, a comprehensive national initiative created to charge all sectors of society, including employment, education and wellness, to provide U.S. service members and their families the support they respectfully deserve. In an effort to give back to these families and in the spirit of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, a campaign to overcome the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation, ACE will lead the effort to unite fitness professionals around the nation to offer at least one million hours of fitness training services at no cost to family members of actively deployed military reservists and National Guard members.  Beginning June 1, these service members and their families can learn more about this effort and find participating fitness instructors in their area online at www.acefitness.org/joiningforces.

"The American Council on Exercise has always, and will always, proudly support our servicemen and women as well as their families for the protection they provide and the sacrifices they make for our country," said Scott Goudeseune, American Council on Exercise president and CEO.  "Through our involvement with the Joining Forces initiative and participation from our extensive network of fitness professionals and others in the industry eager to give back, we are thrilled to be able to show our gratitude to these military families and rally support on their behalf."

Along with the backing of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and in the spirit of Let's Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are spearheading the Joining Forces campaign and recently wrapped up a cross-country tour to meet with communities, businesses and organizations that are supporting the nation's military families.  American Council on Exercise representatives Goudeseune, Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko, Ph.D., chair of the ACE board of directors, and Janet Frenkel, the organization's chief operating officer, joined First Lady Michelle Obama and several military families at the White House today to formally announce the pledge of support to benefit these military families.

Beginning June 1, family members of actively deployed reservists and National Guard members may visit www.acefitness.org/joiningforces to find a nearby participating fitness professional.

ACE's support for Let's Move! and the Joining Forces initiative are examples of its mission to serve as a bridge builder within the fitness industry, collaborate with other organizations, and work at the legislative level to bring fitness and healthy lifestyle education as well as support into communities across the country.  The organization encourages all fitness professionals, whether ACE-certified or otherwise, to support Joining Forces by offering their training services free of charge.  Those interested in joining the American Council on Exercise in its effort to provide one million hours of fitness training services to activated military reservists and National Guard members and their families can visit www.acefitness.org/joiningforces.

For more information on the American Council on Exercise, its Joining Forces efforts and other fitness and health campaigns, please visit www.acefitness.org.

About the American Council on Exercise

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's premier fitness education, certification and training organization, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting Americans against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction.  ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and is the world's largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization.  For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE website at www.acefitness.org.

SOURCE American Council on Exercise